//------------------------------//
// Celebrated Renewal 
// Story: Decretum 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Sixty Nine: Celebrated Renewal
~BlackRoseRaven

Time continued to move forwards, as it always did, no matter what joys or sorrows pervaded life: Scrivener marked essays, stories, and compositions, then graded exams. But one of his greatest achievements from his experience teaching, he felt, was when a copy of a poetry magazine was mailed to him from Canterlot with a letter from Zampona, and he found she'd published one of the poems she'd written for his class, and she had dedicated it to him.
It strengthened Scrivener's resolve, proved that sometimes good efforts were indeed rewarded, and it was a moment of warmth in his life. But that joy was nothing compared to when, after a winter that was long, and deep, but filled with happiness, celebration, and where Scrivener got to watch as Antares Mīrus continued to grow and make him proud every day, Pinkamena gave birth to her child.
Aphrodisia Celeste Pie: Sleipnir had named the little filly, looking at her with warmth and love and adoration in his eyes as he'd sprinkled water over her and given her the blessings of Asgard and nature. They had all been there, and it had been an almost solemn ceremony despite the joy of the filly coming into the world... a filly who already looked quite similar to Pinkamena, and already possessed a large, sharp set of teeth.
Aphrodisia, like her mother, was a demon, and if anything proved this it was how fast she grew: in no time at all, she was bounding around on her hooves, looking much like an earth pony except for her fanged grin and her cloven hooves. But Sleipnir adored her, loved her dearly, and was an incredible father... even if, when his daughter wasn't around, he continued to be the same old pretty-chasing stallion he had always been, although Pinkamena seemed relieved, if anything, that her husband still hadn't changed.
For the last stage of her pregnancy and the first few months afterwards, Pinkamena was unable to hide her true shape: she was stuck in full demonic glory. She also suffered much worse pangs of Gluttony, feeding hungrily whenever she had the chance. But as she devoted herself to her child, taking care of Aphrodisia, visibly cherishing the filly that looked up at her with smiles and acted calm and warm and quiet in her presence, her pangs visibly subsided, and eventually Pinkamena was able to once more hide her shape... although Pinkie Pie and others had told her softly that she didn't have to pretend to be anyone but who she was, and for maybe the first time, Pinkamena had started to believe them.
Despite being six years older than her, Avalon and Antares both accepted Aphrodisia readily into the group, and Rustproof was delighted to have a new playmate, even if Aphrodisia could be more than a little rough. But Rustproof was tough, and only smiled, while Avalon admired that there was finally another filly almost as tough as she was around.
They were all different ages, they were all very different ponies, from very different backgrounds: a demon, an adopted earth pony, a Pegasus, a unicorn with leather wings and his mother's enormous legacy. But they were all friends, too, and in a way, family. They had their quarrels and arguments, but they were also all together, and as time continued to roll forwards, even as the adults discussed their plans and the world around them changed, they only grew closer, only locked tighter together, not afraid of what was to come, following in the hoof-steps and the guidance of their parents and idols who maintained honor and friendship and understanding above all else. And none of them knew how lucky they were, even in spite of the pains and suffering and darkness that lingered through their lives, to always be able to rely on one another... and to always have family to fall back on.

Antares Mīrus grinned brightly, stomping a hoof firmly across the orchard field as he readied himself, a few dead leaves swirling past from the barren apple trees. It was late autumn now, just after his eighth birthday, and he had grown into a strong, handsome colt, his body athletic and toned and his eyes bright, curious, and intelligent. His leather, strong wings flapped easily at his sides once before furling tightly as he shook out his rugged, long mane and flicked his tail, the onyx stone hanging around his neck gleaming as brightly as his eyes. “Okay, I'm ready, Aviator!”
“Shut up.” Avalon grumbled, and Antares laughed as Avalon gritted her teeth and set herself: eight months younger, and still less than half his size, she was still tiny. Smaller than even Rustproof was, as a matter of fact, but she was as solid as she'd ever been. Her wings spread: large and sleek and powerful, she was the envy of every Pegasus her age... not just because she was so fast in the air, but because she had inherited all of her mother's leg strength as well, making her a perfect athlete. Although, all the same, she was also as sharp-tempered as she'd ever been and notoriously brash.
But like Antares, she had also gotten her cutie mark: on her haunch, an emblem of an apple that had been sliced in half gleamed. She had earned it during a game of Sky Ball, a heavy-contact Pegasus version of rugby. The ball has passed back and forth while Pegasi tried to knock each other out of the air... and although she was tiny and about half the age of the other players, Avalon was still permitted to play in the youth league and was known as 'Little Terror' by most of the other players.
She had been zipping violently around the other Pegasi when above, the scoreboard hanging from several cloud supports had dropped loose and fallen right in front of the opposing team goal. Immediately, Pegasi had gone into a panic, but Avalon – focused, sharp, and so stubborn and determined that there was nothing that she'd let stop her – had simply shot ahead, gone into a violent spin, and torn straight through the reinforced hardwood, yelling furiously before throwing the ball so hard the goalie had been knocked flying backwards through his own net. And then she had winced and looked down at her flank at a faint flare of pain... and stared in shock at the sight of her cutie mark.
At first they had teased her plenty about how her special talent was smashing through things, but then her father had smiled, rested a hoof on her back, and told her that what made her special and unique was that nothing ever stopped her. Nothing slowed her down, nothing got in her way, and it made him prouder of her than he could ever express, more than anything else in the world ever had.
Avalon shook herself out, then leapt into the air before shooting violently forwards, and Antares gritted his teeth before he flicked his horn towards her as it glowed brightly. A sapphire barrier appeared in front of him, and Avalon rammed into this, gritting her teeth as it cracked with her initial blow before she growled as she continued to try and force forwards, further damaging the barrier as Rustproof and Aphrodisia watched with interest.
Rustproof was five years old, and yet he was almost as large as Antares was. He was also calm, positive, and very gentle: a child who wasn't afraid of strangers, who had a habit of staring and communicating through smiles and facial gestures instead of speaking, and who was probably one day going to be a behemoth-sized pony. He was good at doing little tasks and chores, and rarely complained about anything, and despite being at the age where he was a little clumsy, he was extremely careful and diligent when it came to any job that needed to be done. He was also very clean and organized, despite the fact his mane and tail were almost as wild and unkempt as Pinkie Pie's and Cowlick was already letting him sit in and watch her work on her gadgets and machines in the workshop at home and the engineering lab.
Aphrodisia, on other hoof, looked and all too often acted like a miniature version of her mother, and in spite of the fact she was only two years old, she could easily pass for a foal twice her age. She was already out of diapers, and already could speak fluently as she grinned widely, her teeth glinting brightly as she called mockingly: “You can't do it, metal-head!”
“Shut up, Apple Pie!” Avalon shouted, then she flapped her wings hard as she slammed forwards, tearing through through the barrier as Antares yelped before she smashed into the colt, and they both went rolling backwards as Aphrodisia laughed loudly.
She shook her raven-black mane out with a wide grin: the long hairs fell straight, but were braided into a low knot near the end of the locks to keep them from spilling over her face. Her tail was naturally thick and straight as well, and her black-rimmed emerald eyes glowed with mischief as she looked at the two, teasing: “Avalon and Antares, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
Avalon only grumbled, punching Antares once in the breast before she hopped up off him, and the colt grunted in pain before he sat up and smiled amusedly over at the pink, demonic foal. “You really need some new material, Apps.”
“Hey, bite me. I'm two years old and already smarter than all of you.” Aphrodisia bragged, and then she dropped her head against Rustproof and said sweetly: “I can't wait until we're all grown up and we can kill things together.”
“You're silly, Pinkslap.” Rustproof said kindly, and Aphrodisia smiled: for some reason, she was very fond of this odd nickname, even if only a few ponies ever used it for her. With what a pain her full name was to say and all the mischief she liked to get up to, almost everypony had their own pet name for her, ranging from Apps to Devil Pie. “You know too much about growed up stuff.”
“Yeah, well, I'm a demon.” Aphrodisia sniffed loudly, tilting her head upwards proudly, and then she grumbled and stomped her hooves against the ground, adding moodily: “Or at least I will be a big scary demon once I mature or something. I dunno, Mommy hasn't told me how it works and Daddy just says I'm probably still going to be plenty pony. Aunt Brynhild and Aunt Tia weren't able to tell me much else, either.”
She shook her head, and Antares smiled as he walked over to his little cousin, patting her on the shoulder. “Well, don't worry, Apps. You're gonna be the strongest demon ever.”
“Shut up, Nova. Nopony likes you.” Aphrodisia smiled all the same up at her cousin, then she reached up and toyed at his necklace, asking curiously: “So what are we doing out here? Don't we have some big thing to go to?”
“Yeah.” Antares quieted a little, glancing away, and Aphrodisia and the other kids softened as they all looked towards Antares, as he lowered his head a little, saying softly: “Mom and Dad are renewing their vows or something, and they want us all to take part in the ceremony. I think it's more than that, and I just... I just hope that... well...”
“Hey, Mir, it's gonna be okay, okay?” Avalon said firmly, reaching out and nudging Antares, and the colt smiled over at her as Rustproof nodded quickly.
Antares appreciated it: it showed in his smile and the way he glanced up, even as he remained silent as his thoughts strayed to his parents. His mother, Luna, was so strong... and Twilight Sparkle was always there, helping them out... but Scrivener Blooms, his father, had begun to ail. He coughed up black stuff a lot, and over the last year or so, the stallion had lost some of his mass, gotten gaunter, weaker... he had bad days sometimes, and sometimes he just stared off at nothing, or said strange things.
It was hard for the colt: he knew what was happening, and what hurt so much more was that there was so little he could do to help... and his father kept blaming himself, kept getting so angry, so upset with himself, over what his condition meant Antares was seeing and going through. Antares didn't entirely understand it: none of it was Scrivener's fault, after all, but... the colt knew by now that his father had a habit of holding himself accountable for every bad thing that happened.
Then the colt shook his head out and looked up, saying hesitantly: “Yeah, I... I'm sure it's nothing bad. Big sister was really excited, and that usually means something really good is about to happen, and I heard lots of ponies are going to be there. A band is gonna perform, and Dad... Dad looked really good today. He was nervous and anxious and stuff, but he was excited, too. I don't usually see him excited. And Twilight and Aunt Tia were excited.”
“Aunt Tia doesn't get excited.” Aphrodisia scoffed, and Antares gave her an amused look. “What? She doesn't. She's weird.”
“Your whole family is weird.” Avalon said mildly, and Antares nodded agreeably as Aphrodisia growled, then barked several times at the Pegasus. Avalon only rolled her eyes even as Rustproof chuckled, and then she glanced at Antares and asked: “So what does that mean, then? We're going to have to get trussed up in fancy clothes? I hate fancy clothes. So do Mom and Dad.”
Antares only shook his head, then he glanced back and forth hesitantly, and Aphrodisia grinned brightly as her eyes lit up. “Oh cool! You're gonna do it, aren't you?”
“I'm gonna try, Apps. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, they listen to Mom and Dad, not me.” Antares replied embarrassedly, and Aphrodisia nodded excitedly as Avalon frowned, but Rustproof only looked up inquisitively when Antares closed his eyes tightly and concentrated.
His horn began to glow with a dark sapphire light, and then he gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes, leaning forwards and concentrating as a faint pulse rang out through the fields... before a moment later, he wheezed loudly and slumped. Aphrodisia was gazing excitedly back and forth... and then she winced when a loud barking rose up before Kǫttr tore excitedly across the field, the large Hellhound distinct not because of its demonic nature, but because of the pink vest it wore over its body stitched with patterns of flowers and the large, goofy bow on the collar around its neck.
“N-No, Kǫttr, Kǫttr, wait-” Antares began too late, and then the Hellhound tackled him, licking painfully at the colt's face as he laughed and gave strangled yells at the same time, feeling ice crystals forming over his features as he shoved wildly at the excitable Hellhound. “Apps, do something!”
Aphrodisia barked several times at Kǫttr, and the Hellhound immediately skittered off Antares, whining in its throat as it skidded around. Avalon was on the ground, cackling loudly, and Rustproof was smiling cheerfully before he glanced curiously up as there was a faint shimmer in the air before an enormous demon appeared, tilting its horned head as it asked softly: “Did you need something, young Antares?”
“Atrus!” Antares wheezed, and he sat quickly up with a smile as Avalon continued to  giggle and Aphrodisia spun around, beginning to bounce gleefully around the Wrath demon and inspecting it with fascination. “Hey, I... we were wondering about... the ceremony today...”
“I do not entirely understand it. Marriage is a concept that is lost on my kind, and love is not something I precisely feel.” Atrus replied gently, and then he lowered his head thoughtfully. “But there is something to be appreciated all the same in it. It seems a source of both weakness and strength, after all.”
“Right.” Antares said slowly, and then he cleared his throat and shook his head, absently reaching out to begin petting Kǫttr, who rumbled quietly and slipped closer to the colt as his bony tail wagged. “So that is today? Mom and Dad didn't tell me much about it.”
“They are preparing the ritual as we speak.” Atrus replied seriously, and when Avalon snorted in amusement and gave the demon a flat look, the enormous creature shrugged calmly. “Hevatica will come and retrieve you when the time is right. The ritual is being held outside of Ponyville, for all to see and attend if they desire.”
Antares smiled and nodded, and then Aphrodisia bounced in front of the Wrath demon, grinning up at him and asking excitedly: “Can you do a trick? Show me your claws! Bite something! How strong are you?”
Atrus only looked down at the foal-demon, and then he shook his head slowly, saying meditatively: “I do not look forwards to when you grow up, little one. Wrath and Lust is a dangerous combination.”
With that, Atrus vanished from sight, and Aphrodisia growled and stomped her cloven hooves before she spun around and whistled loudly, and Kǫttr rose his head quickly, looking at her intently before the demon foal ran forwards and scrambled up onto the Hellhound's back, snapping: “Go find Daddy!”
“Apps, you can't just-” Antares began, but too late, as Kǫttr barked happily and leapt to its manicured claws, bolting across the field. Avalon grinned at this, then she buzzed sharply into the air and took off after the demons, leaving the two colts sitting dumbly by themselves. A moment later, Antares traded a look with Rustproof, and they both took off after them, the unicorn's rapid sprint letting him slowly begin to close in on Kǫttr despite the head start the Hellhound had, as Rustproof trotted along at an easy pace, falling quickly behind but easily following the trail of his friends all the same.
Kǫttr tore towards the road leading from Sweet Apple Acres towards Ponyville, Aphrodisia clinging to his back and grinning as the wind whipped her hair back... before her eyes bulged as she saw two figures in the road directly ahead of them, and Kǫttr yelped before he skidded to a sudden halt, lurching forwards and sending Aphrodisia flying over his head to crash loudly on her back in front of the two. She wheezed in pain, flailing a bit at the air before glaring furiously up at the two who had blocked her path: Hevatica, and a Pegasus filly with a bright red coat and a cutie mark of a quill over a notepad on her flank.
She growled and yelled nonsense words up at them, and Hevatica only looked mildly back down at her before the Kelpie rolled her eyes. Then Aphrodisia stared as the Pegasus filly smiled brightly, looking up from the demon and saying shyly as Antares skidded to a halt beside his cousin: “Hi Antares!”
“M-Meadowlark?” Antares asked stupidly, and the Pegasus filly nodded a few times embarrassedly... before squeaking when Avalon shot down out of the air, beginning to buzz around the red filly and the demon as the Kelpie winced a little. Then Antares stepped forwards with a smile, looking over her slowly as he said softly: “Wow, it's really good to-”
“No it's not.” Avalon interrupted, and then she dropped down and landed primly on Antares' back, the glossy black unicorn sighing and dropping his head forwards as Meadowlark blushed and lowered her head. “My Dad's gonna kick your Dad's butt if he sees him anywhere.”
“My parents... ran away.” Meadowlark said quietly, glancing down with embarrassment, and Avalon started as Meadowlark looked up quietly. “They left me with my aunt in Canterlot and... I don't know where they are anymore. It was only a few days after I got this, see?”
She smiled a little, glancing back at the emblem on her haunch. “See it? It's because I'm really good at finding stuff out... not... not singing, after all.” She blushed, closing her eyes and nodding a little and even as Avalon grumbled, she seemed to soften a little. “I'm sorry for how I treated you guys, I really really am. I was hoping that... that maybe now, we could all be friends again, like old times.”
“Hey, they're my friends, not yours.” Aphrodisia said grumpily, as she bounced up to her hooves, and Meadowlark looked down at her with a tilt of her head. “You smell bad.”
“Now stop that, Aphrodisia.” Hevatica chided, and the demon foal grumbled under her breath before the Kelpie glanced up and smiled as Rustproof cantered slowly forwards and dropped on his haunches beside Kǫttr, cocking his head curiously and unconsciously mimicking the Hellhound beside him. “Hello, sweetie. I know you were very young, but I'm sure you remember Meadowlark.”
“Wow, Rustproof? You've gotten so big already...” Meadowlark smiled brightly, and then she winced when Aphrodisia growled at her and Avalon fixed her with a sour look.
“Fillies, come on.” Antares said tiredly, and then he winced when Avalon stomped against his back before she grumbled and sprawled herself over him, closing her eyes and dropping her head down with a mumble. Antares groaned at this: Avalon's favorite tactic to avoid making a decision was to simply go to sleep. “Apps? Please?”
“I like her.” Rustproof smiled, and Aphrodisia grumbled and looked for a few moments over her shoulder at Kǫttr and the blue-maned colt, and then she groaned and nodded once.
“But I don't have to like you, you hear me?” Aphrodisia leaned up threateningly, and Meadowlark smiled hesitantly as she looked down at the demon foal before Aphrodisia's eyes turned to the Kelpie, complaining: “And when are we going to this dumb thing for Aunt Brynhild and Uncle Scrivy? I'm bored. I wanna see my Mommy and my Daddy, too.”
“Oh, believe me, we all want to see your Daddy.” Hevatica said almost dreamily, and Aphrodisia glared at her before the Kelpie leaned down with a kind smile. “Why don't we all go to where the ceremony is being held, then, shall we?”
Aphrodisia mumbled, but Antares nodded rapidly and Rustproof smiled in his benign, agreeable way, and Hevatica turned to lead them back through the village. Meadowlark embarrassedly fell into pace on one side of Antares, and the colt looked up at her curiously, asking after a few moments: “So what are you doing back in Ponyville if... I mean, is it okay if I ask about...”
“It's okay.” Meadowlark nodded quickly, blushing and glancing down. “I... I know Mom and Dad loved me, but they couldn't... support me anymore, or even themselves. Dad got in so so much trouble for... for what happened, and Mom wasn't allowed to practice doctoring anymore. They told me they didn't want me getting mixed up in everything and making all the mistakes they did, so... they gave me to my Aunt Bluebell.
“But I kept track of Mom and Dad, even after they ran away. It wasn't hard... I have all kinds of notebooks and clippings and articles. They're not... major criminals or anything, but there's a lot of gossip about it, and the other Royal Guards felt real sorry for me so they'd tell me about where they were last seen and stuff. They were all real mad at Mom and Dad for abandoning me but I guess they know, too, that... there just wasn't a lot that they could do, either.”
Antares nodded sympathetically, gazing at Meadowlark quietly and seeing that... she was angry, but she was more sad than angry, and more disappointed than sad... and yet through it all, too, she still loved her parents. “But I guess I... I don't know. All I really have left now is you guys, and I know how bad I hurt everyone and... I wanna start over. Maybe if I start over then... Mom and Dad will come back one day and be able to start over too.”
There was quiet for a little while, as they walked through the busy streets... and then Avalon finally mumbled: “I forgive you.”
Meadowlark looked up in surprise, and Avalon grumbled as she shoved up and buzzed off Antares' back, easily taking back to the air and floating along above them. “Just don't get used to it. And you gotta take care of Rustproof, he's still poo-brain.”
Rustproof only smiled up at Avalon, and Meadowlark shook her head and glanced down awkwardly before Aphrodisia said sulkily: “We were cooler when there was just four of us.”
“You know, it was four of us before you came along.” Avalon said dourly, and Aphrodisia glared up at her furiously. “Hey, just sayin'.”
“Children, please now. Get along.” Hevatica said kindly over her shoulder, shaking her head slowly before the demon smiled as she looked ahead, continuing easily: “Look, Ponyville is the perfect example. Nibelung, ponies, my own kind... all of us welcome here, walking through the light of day, with no need to be afraid. Is it not beautiful? Is it not wonderful?”
“No.” Aphrodisia said sulkily, and Hevatica sighed before the foal continued loudly: “Mommy tells me that ponies used to be afraid of us. I wanna see that.”
“Who is that, anyway?” Meadowlark asked aside to Antares, and the charcoal pony smiled after a moment, leaning down to firmly bump his muzzle against Aphrodisia.
The foal huffed and flailed at him as Kǫttr barked happily behind them, and then Antares returned his eyes to Meadowlark and answered: “That's my cousin! Her name's Aphrodisia Celeste Pie, and her mom is Pinkamena.”
“Whoa, Pinkamena?” Meadowlark stumbled and stared, before she added dumbly: “Wait.  She. She can't be, she'd only be...”
“I'm two years old.” Aphrodisia declared proudly, raising her head high. “I'm a demon, so I'm growing up faster than any of you, which means I'm gonna be better than all of you already.”
“Not if you don't learn grammar, Apple Pie.” Avalon said dryly, and Aphrodisia glared angrily up at her.
“Don't call me that!” she snapped, then huffed and grumbled: “You just wish I was an Apple so that you could have Sleipnir as your Daddy. I have the best Daddy in the world.”
“No, I do!” Avalon argued, and Aphrodisia and Avalon glared at each other as Antares sighed and dropped his head, and Hevatica only smiled amusedly over her shoulder. “Rainbow Dash is the fastest, strongest, best Pegasus and father in the world!”
She glared at both Meadowlark and Aphrodisia, and Meadowlark awkwardly dropped her head with a blush as the demon foal huffed and retorted: “So he's fast, that just means he might stand a chance at running away from my Dad, which is all he could ever do because nothing can beat my Dad, so there!”
Hevatica smiled slightly, before Rustproof chipped in: “My daddy's really nice.”
There was an awkward quiet for a moment, and then Meadowlark glanced up and asked finally: “What about your Dad, Antares?”
Antares only looked down, remaining quiet for a moment as Avalon and Aphrodisia both glared at Meadowlark, who quailed back as Hevatica glanced worriedly over her shoulder at Antares... but then the glossy-black unicorn shook his head and smiled after a moment, looking up and saying quietly: “My Dad's strong. And I'm really proud of him.”
“Good.” Hevatica said softly, turning her eyes ahead, and the foals remained quiet as they followed through town, Meadowlark too nervous to say anything further, Avalon looking down softly at the colt, Rustproof and Aphrodisia both too difficult to read.
Outside of town, they met Fluttershy and Nirvana on the road, the blonde-coated Pegasus glancing up with a soft smile. “It's such a nice sight to see all of you gathered together... it... makes me forget about all the not-so-nice things going on. Antares, this must really be exciting for you... your parents have been together for over twenty-three years now, after all.”
Antares looked up in surprise at this, eyes widening before he said in an amazed voice: “That's... more than three times my age!”
“It's a little less, actually.” Fluttershy corrected gently, smiling and nodding slowly. “But it's incredible, isn't it? I think they have special tasks for all of you, though, especially you and your cousin, Aphrodisia... oh, but we've all come such a long way from who we used to be...”
Fluttershy gave Nirvana a soft look, and the Phooka rumbled quietly to her before he leaned over and nuzzled the side of her neck, and the Pegasus smiled and closed her eyes as she bowed her head forwards. Then she shook herself out a bit and gazed radiantly over the foals before her eyes drew up to Hevatica as she asked: “Were you told about the choir?”
“Oh, thank you for reminding me, sweet Fluttershy. Of course, I'd forgotten.” Hevatica smiled to the Pegasus, then she glanced over her shoulder at the foals. “I'm sure you can find your way to the party from here. I need to attend to some business... Scrivener and Mistress Luna have insisted on a simple ceremony, but Lady Celestia has better plans in mind. But don't tell your parents, Antares.”
She winked over her shoulder at the colt, who blushed and nodded a few times before the Kelpie turned to head towards the animal care complex. Nirvana rumbled quietly and bowed his head politely to the foals, and then Fluttershy excused herself with a smile before she and Nirvana followed after the Kelpie.
For a moment, Aphrodisia looked grumpily after them, and then she stomped her hooves and huffed. “We should go after them, right, Kǫttr? I bet they're hiding all sorts of stuff in that big barn!”
Kǫttr barked in agreement, and Avalon snorted before her eyes roved in the direction where the ceremony was undoubtedly going to be held: not only were Pegasi in the sky, clearing away clouds, rows and rows of chairs had been set up, along with an enormous, flower-covered trellis visible from here... although that was partly thanks to the bunches of colored balloons tied along the trellis and to several of the chairs. “Well, you have fun with that, Apple Pie. Me? I think there's a table full of food over there. And Dad always says if you wanna get the good stuff, you have to be the first to attack.”
“Your dad's a hippo.” Aphrodisia said moodily to this, and when Avalon only looked down at the demon foal blankly, the pink filly glared and stomped her cloven hooves. “You know! Like... he... he does the same stuff he tells other people is bad!”
“A... oh, hypocrite.” Antares looked up brightly, and then Aphrodisia turned and punched him in the leg, making him wince in pain and quickly raise his injured foreleg up as he leaned away from her. “Apps!”
The demon foal replied by barking at him and gnashing her teeth violently, and the glossy-black colt winced and leaned away as Meadowlark stared with something like horror at the filly. Rustproof only continued to look at them quizzically as Kǫttr bounced to his claws and woofed excitedly several times, and then Aphrodisia turned and sprinted towards where the ceremony was being set up, and Kǫttr eagerly scampered after her, continuing to bark loudly and cheerfully.
Avalon groaned and shot after the demon after a moment, shouting down at her, and Antares, Rustproof and Meadowlark all watched the three for a few seconds. Other ponies that were just visible in the distance were staring to look up at the commotion, and Antares finally sighed, smiling from the colt on one side to the filly on the other as he said finally: “Come on, then. Let's go check it out, I guess.”
“You sound nervous.” Meadowlark said softly, and Antares shrugged a bit as the three trotted through the field before he smiled over at her, and she tilted her head towards him before asking quietly: “What's wrong with your Dad?”
Antares shifted a bit, a little surprised by the question even as he studied her curiously, and Meadowlark only laughed and shrugged, smiling a little. “I'm good at finding stuff out, like I said, and that means I gotta be... perceptive, that's the right word, right?”
Antares nodded a little, and he hesitated before looking ahead and saying quietly: “Dad's been really sick from... from those evil Clockwork things. We haven't seen a hint of them for the last while, and we're not supposed to talk about it, but... Mom and Aunt Tia were talking just the other day about how... maybe they're trying to wait us out now. They know that Dad's been hurt and... and...”
He swallowed and glanced down, unable to finish, and Meadowlark softened as she lowered her head, murmuring: “I'm sorry, Antares.”
“It's okay.” Antares shook his head hurriedly, then he looked up and smiled a little. “I'm just hoping this is a good sign today... Dad was looking good this morning and... and I hope... I mean, if he's feeling strong and healthy, then maybe there's hope after all, that... well...”
He quieted, and Meadowlark nodded slowly as she looked ahead as well, before Rustproof said softly: “There's always hope.”
“Always.” Antares echoed, and he nodded a little again before glancing up and smiling as they began to draw closer, watching as his uncle Sleipnir laughed and played with Kǫttr and now-giggling, bright-looking Aphrodisia, and Aunt Pinkamena sat back with a smile on her face, Pinkie Pie bouncing excitedly beside her.
Antares was welcomed just as warmly, and soon he and Meadowlark and Rustproof were playing happily along with the others, Pinkie Pie joining in as Pinkamena only sat back and watched with amusement until Sleipnir tackled her. They scuffled for a while, until all gathered looked up as Celestia approached, smiling and shaking her head: she was dressed in her armor, coronet gleaming around her head, making the foals stare before she said kindly: “Antares, Aphrodisia, would you both please come with me? And Avalon, your father is looking for you... Meadowlark, I think it would be a good idea if you go with her as well. Lastly, Sleipnir, please take Rustproof to find Cowlick. She says she needs his help.”
The foals all nodded, Pinkamena glancing down at her daughter and smiling as she reached up to pat the filly's cheek, saying firmly: “Behave, kid. You treat Aunt Brynhild good, and Uncle Scrivener better, got it? And try not to get on Princess Sunshine's nerves too much, she ain't a half bad aunt.”
“Yes, Mommy.” Aphrodisia smiled and nodded firmly to her mother, and then she gazed warmly over at Sleipnir when he approached with a smile and ruffled his daughter's mane firmly. She half-leapt forwards to hug his leg tightly for a moment, then slipped quickly away, bouncing over to Celestia, as Antares gazed out at his family and friends before smiling over his shoulder when the ivory, rainbow-maned winged unicorn began to head calmly towards the row of seats.
The cousins followed after her, demon foal and glossy-black colt both looking up attentively as Celestia explained, while leading them down the red carpet that went between more marked rows than Antares could count: “Your mother and father never had much of a wedding, Antares, and... although we actually missed their last anniversary, we decided it would be... in our best interests to do this now.”
Antares nodded nervously, and Celestia halted in the middle of the long aisle, gazing softly over her shoulder at the two foals as they looked up at her. “Your father is very strong, Antares, please don't take this as if... your father's condition is further worsening. But what's very important is that we make the most of the time we have, and to be honest, we've been talking about this for the last two years. And more than that... there's a very special reason why today was picked. And there's a special reason I need to talk to you for a moment alone.”
The unicorn foal cocked his head curiously as Aphrodisia frowned a little, asking flatly: “And what about me?”
“Don't worry, Aphrodisia, you have another task to prepare for while I talk to Antares.” Celestia replied with a smile, and as they continued onwards, she glanced up and called: “Twilight Sparkle! Aphrodisia is here!”
Twilight glanced up from where he was going over something with Rarity and Spike, and the violet mare hurriedly excused herself before wincing a bit and running over to the end of the aisle, joining them in front of the large trellis and the small stage that had been set up as she asked worriedly: “Are you sure about this, Celestia? I... and Antares, why isn't Antares... oh god, we're running so far behind schedule, Luna and Scrivener will be here any moment and-”
“It's alright, Twilight. Take Aphrodisia, put her in the dress Rarity already prepared-” The demon foal made a disgusted face. “-and calm yourself down. Then tell her what she's giving to Luna.”
Twilight nodded, reaching up and rubbing worriedly at her collar before she smiled nervously down at the demon, breathing a little hard and making Antares wince and stare a little before the violet mare closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Celestia gazed at her imploringly. “I'm sorry, I... I'm calm. But we're giving Luna and Scrivener a surprise wedding, I'm just... I'm scared it'll upset them, not make them smile.”
“What? Really?” Antares brightened, looking up before he shook his head firmly when Twilight looked at him with a grimace. “No, no, no! It'll mean a lot, Twilight, especially... especially with you doing this for them.”
He smiled after a moment, gazing up at her with conviction, and it soothed Twilight visibly before she sighed and nodded, mumbling: “You... you do know your Mom and Dad well and... I guess I'll trust in your instincts, Antares. I just wish we'd had more time to plan...”
“We took almost a year to plan this, Twilight.” Celestia said gently, and then she gestured lightly at Aphrodisia as the demon foal walked forwards with a grumble. “Go ahead, take Aphrodisia to where the dressing rooms are set up, and I'll explain everything to Antares.”
Twilight hesitated, then she nodded and looked up, studying Celestia apprehensively for a moment before she turned, and Aphrodisia followed moodily behind her. Spike smiled and left Rarity's side to head off with the violet mare as well, and Rarity hurried over with a giggle and a bright smile of her own, her horn glowing and already opening a satchel on her side as Celestia smiled slightly.
“Wait. You're...” Antares frowned, looking curiously up at Celestia and studying her sharply as the armored, ivory mare smiled slightly down at him, even as Rarity lifted a simple dress suit for Antares out of the pack at her side and began to quickly measure it by eye against him to check for any last minute adjustments. “Mom and Dad know?”
“Yes and no.” Celestia replied with the same tender, gentle smile, and when Antares frowned uncertainly, she explained: “Today marks an anniversary that Twilight doesn't even remember. Twenty two years ago today was when Twilight Sparkle first became... involved... with your mother and father. This ceremony isn't simply for Luna and Scrivener... it's for her, too.”
“It's very exciting.” Rarity affirmed, smiling brightly before she began to slip clothing onto Antares, and the foal looked back and forth in dumb surprise. “It's made more exciting by the fact that Scrivener and Luna don't know that we've put together such a big celebration for them... so really, yes, there are surprises all around today.”
Antares only continued to look a little confused, and Celestia laughed quietly as she gazed down at him, saying gently as Rarity slipped the suit jacket onto the colt: “Nothing is going to change, Antares, but Luna and Scrivener want to give Twilight something more to... to show the bond they have. To show her they aren't ashamed of her, and to show her that she's accepted and loved here, by many ponies, uncomfortable as the subject is for some. And her friends are here to support that.”
“Besides, twenty-three years, Antares! I can only look forwards to the day when Spike and I are able to celebrate such an impressive number of years together.” Rarity said softly, and she smiled after a moment, a black tie quickly sliding itself around the colt's neck before Rarity flicked her horn and neatly tied it with telekinesis. “This whole idea is very sweet, though, and it will be good for Twilight, I think.”
“Of course, this is all my meddling, as well, as my little sister likes to say.” Celestia said softly, smiling after a moment and shaking her head slowly. “So if anything does go wrong Antares, don't worry. I'll take all the blame for it.”
Antares blushed as he looked awkwardly up at Celestia, and then he looked down before shaking his head slowly and saying softly: “It's silly how ponies judge other ponies all the time. Are... are you sure about this, though? Is that why you're all dressed up? And... Twilight...”
Celestia reached up, stroking a hoof soothingly through Antares' mane as Rarity fastidiously neatened the foal's clothes, before the Baroness smiled a bit as she answered: “Twilight can be a lot like you, and Scrivener, and Luna. She never asks for the things she wants or needs.”
The foal laughed and blushed a little after a moment, fidgeting before he looked up as Celestia leaned down and said softly: “Sometimes it doesn't hurt to give ponies a little push, as long as you're honestly serving their best interests, trying to do what's right for them, and keeping in mind... their values, their beliefs, what they honestly want. Particularly when those ponies have a hard time asking for things for themselves, and following their own desires.”
Antares nodded after a moment, and then Rarity added softly, glancing up with a small smile: “I don't claim to be nearly as wise as Celestia or your parents or many ponies, for that matter, but I have learned that no matter how strange and different love is, love is still love. I don't entirely understand it but I don't question it, both because Twilight has been beside Scrivener and Luna for such a long period of time... but also out of respect for her, and because I am her friend. I care about her well-being... and admittedly, it does much for my own worries and concerns and paranoia to see Scrivener and Luna willing to publicly show their feelings for Twilight like this. Even if it is none of our business, really.” Rarity paused, then smiled slightly and winked. “But we all have our sins, dear, and I do still enjoy the occasional bit of friendly gossip and harmless chatter.”
She paused, then straightened and nodded firmly once, and Antares glanced down at himself with a blush: he was now dressed in a white shirt, tie neatly knotted around his neck and a black dress jacket over this. Silver cufflinks gleamed as brightly as the polished star of his necklace, and Rarity reached a hoof up to neaten the foal's hair a little before she said softly: “I hope you don't mind, Antares, but you look so dashing I may have to pretend you're my foal as well for tonight. I'm not quite sure if dragons and unicorns will mix so nicely, after all.”
“Oh, I'm sure you'll have kids one day. They'll just look like me.” said a kind voice, and Rarity flinched in surprise and glanced up as Celestia sighed, looking over at Discombobulation as the Draconequus smiled wryly and leaned in close. He was dressed in a full, pressed black tuxedo, a bowtie at his neck and a white rose in his lapel as he absently polished the silver claws of his prosthetic limb against his suit jacket. “Don't we all look charming. Dressed to kill. I've never understood that metaphor, Rarity, could you explain it to me? I mean, if I were dressed to kill, I'd be wearing a rubber raincoat or some tattered jeans, wouldn't I? Or perhaps a suit of armor. Celestia is certainly dressed to kill, but I fear that I look more like I'm dressed to take orders from snooty rich people at a snooty rich person restaurant.”
Rarity sighed and looked moodily at the Draconequus as Celestia studied him for a moment, then simply returned her eyes to Antares, saying gently: “During the ceremony, Twilight will be brought up. I'm going to give a short speech, and then I'm going to ask you to pass me the symbol of commitment, called a Promise. Do you understand?”
Antares nodded a few times as Rarity pulled her eyes away from the Draconequus, but just as her horn began to glow, Discombobulation quickly reached into her satchel and yanked a large, square wooden box free, saying mildly: “Sorry, too slow. Here it is.”
He held the oak box calmly out to Antares, who awkwardly reached up to take it as Rarity huffed, and the Draconequus sniffed loudly in response, twiddling his metallic fingers. “You'll pardon me, but I'm vastly enjoying having my arm back. I mean, I know I've had this wonderful little gizmo for quite a while, but I don't think I'm ever going to quite get over just how delightful this is. It moves perfectly, it doesn't fall off when I teleport, and I can wear it with winter or summer colors. By the by, Rarity, what are spring and fall colors and why do all four seasons get their own fashion line? Why don't I have my own fashion line?”
Rarity glared up at him, and Celestia glanced towards the Draconequus before she asked mildly: “Out of curiosity, Discombobulation, do you have any idea what you're supposed to be doing here at this event?”
“I'm the best Draconequus. Which isn't very hard, there's only two of us to choose from and I not only have seniority, Discord is also a jerk.” Bob replied seriously, and when the ponies all only looked at him, he sighed tiredly and slumped, muttering: “I'm an usher. I help idiot ponies find a chair to sit in. Are you happy?”
“Are you?” Celestia asked seriously, and Discombobulation looked stupefied by this response before the ivory mare smiled slightly. “I thought as much. In any case, you already told me who glad you were to be a part of this, as I recall.”
“I... I did not.” Discombobulation looked ruffled, and then he brushed at himself before striding quickly past, grumbling: “Let's just get this foolishness over with. This celebration of deviant lifestyles makes me cringe.”
Celestia smiled as the Draconequus strode away, and then he halted, crossed his arms, and then turned around and asked lamely: “Aren't you going to argue with me? Defend your sister and your so-called brother and the pony you look at almost as daughter? Which makes your mind a very disturbing place, by the way, considering what you're encouraging.”
Celestia only continued to smile at him, however, and the Draconequus slowly puckered his lips and leaned back, looking distinctly unnerved before he huffed and gazed up at the sky, muttering: “But of course I seem insane to you: when everyone else walks on their hands, it's the one person who walks on their feet who seems like a lunatic.”
“Would you like to go out for dinner after this, Discombobulation?” Celestia asked kindly, and the Draconequus stared at her before she winked at him. “I'll make it worth your while, so long as you pick up the tab.”
“Are you the gatekeeper? Because I am not the keymaster.” Discombobulation flinched and stood back on one leg, half-hugging himself before he hopped backwards several times, then spun around and simply bolted.
The ivory equine looked after him with an amused roll of her eyes, and then Antares glanced up and said after a moment: “That was a little mean, Aunt Tia.”
“I apologize, Antares. I simply couldn't resist. But come along, Luna and Scrivener will be here any moment, and we all need to be ready.” Celestia smiled after a moment, saying softly: “On the bright side, at least they won't have to pretend to be surprised.”
Antares nodded and smiled warmly up at his aunt as Rarity turned to hurry off and get into her own dress, and the foal took up position proudly on one side of the stage, sitting with the large box beside him to leave it hidden in plain sight. After another few minutes, a haggard-looking Twilight brought Aphrodisia back with her own large box, the demon foal glowering around, her mane now tightly braided and a pretty little red dress over her body.
Twilight then hurried off to check on everything else, and Aphrodisia glanced back and forth before she quickly scampered across the stage to Celestia, glowering up at her. Celestia frowned a bit, glancing down at the little demon before the foal poked her a few times and asked waspishly: “Why do you get to be in armor instead of a dress?”
“Because I am much larger and scarier than most of the ponies here.” Celestia replied gently, and Aphrodisia looked thoughtful at this response before she grunted and nodded a few times, then leaned slowly over to frown at Antares, her sharp eyes catching on the box beside her cousin. The colt smiled over at her, and then Aphrodisia glared pointedly up at Celestia, who sighed after a moment and said softly: “It's a surprise for Twilight.”
“Oh.” Aphrodisia paused, frowned, then looked moodily up. “Daddy doesn't marry everypony he sleeps with.”
Antares coughed violently at this as Celestia sighed and looked towards the sky before Aphrodisia sniffed and turned to look thoughtfully out over the rows of chairs: guests were already beginning to arrive, and after a moment, Aphrodisia looked up and asked curiously: “Aunt Tia, why are relationships so weird and why do some stallions like other stallions and some like both, and why doesn't everypony have a special pony in their lives?”
“Ask your father. He's much more knowledgeable about stallions who like stallions.” Celestia responded absently, and Aphrodisia grunted and nodded a few times before the ivory equine softened and said quietly: “Honestly, though... I can't answer those questions. I'm not sure any pony can, except by saying... we are who we are, and we love who we love. That's all.”
“That's not really an answer.” Aphrodisia paused, then she shook her head and looked out over the rows of chairs before she smiled a little and leaned against Celestia's leg, surprising the large, ivory equine as she looked down at the demon's almost-tender gaze up at her. “Daddy says people try too hard to be normal. He says if everyone was less normal we could all be a lot happier.”
“Sleipnir has always had odd bits and pieces of wisdom such as that.” Celestia smiled after a moment, nodding slowly. “But your father has always known freedom, and refused to ever accept anything less. That... and he's always been particularly difficult to dislike.”
Aphrodisia smiled and nodded, then gazed ahead and grinned widely at the sight of Luna and Scrivener approaching, both looking shocked and accompanied by a blushing and delighted-looking Scarlet Sage.
Luna and Scrivener were both dressed in full, polished armor further accented by the extra raiment they wore. Luna had on a flowing black cape with dark gemstones shaped like the moon and stars woven into the fabric, while Scrivener had decorative vambraces inscribed with etchings of vines and roses locked in place of his plainer bracers, as well as a black helm with silver wings stretching to either side and a white pearl inset just above the crown.
Then Luna glared up at Celestia, charging down the aisle, and Scrivener winced and hurried after his wife... although it was hard to miss the way Scarlet Sage quickly slipped forwards and half-supported him, or the gauntness in Scrivener's features... or most of all, the way he didn't push Scarlet Sage away, letting her help him along as he coughed once and Luna shouted in an outraged voice: “What is the meaning of this, sister?”
“It's exactly what it looks like.” Celestia replied softly with a smile, and Luna skidded to a halt in front of her, staring up at her with disbelief before the ivory mare shook her head and said kindly: “You and Scrivener deserve a bit of a celebration. And if I may be so bold, Twilight Sparkle does as well, doesn't she?”
“This... this is a dangerous game thou plays!” Luna snapped as she glared up at Celestia, and then she grumbled and hesitated before dropping her head forwards and adding in a mumble: “Although... I... Celestia...”
“Besides, it's nothing formal. It's something for us, and friends, and family.” Celestia soothed, and Luna grumbled as Scrivener slowly approached with Scarlet Sage, the Pegasus smiling and letting her father walk the last bit on his own as their pace slowed, smoothing out the frilled, simple white dress she was wearing. “Scrivener Blooms. How are you feeling today?”
“Anxious.” Scrivener admitted, glancing up and smiling awkwardly, and Celestia nodded, gazing at him softly before the earth pony rubbed slowly at his chest as he gazed over at Luna quietly. “But excited too, huh?”
Luna sighed and mumbled as she dropped her head forwards, mane sparking faintly as it swirled backwards beneath her helm before she finally looked up and grumbled: “I am at least glad thou understood that this occasion called for the better of formal wear, not simply... ridiculous cloth clothing.”
Aphrodisia grumbled loudly, and Luna glanced down at the demon foal before she whined: “Then why do Nova and I have to wear silly clothes?”
“'Tis Celestia's fault, not mine! Thou knows that if I and thy mother had our way, thou could wear upon thy body all the metal and sharp objects thou wanted.” Luna said firmly, and Aphrodisia glared up at Celestia, who sighed and gave Luna a half-pleading look, but the sapphire mare only sniffed and continued disdainfully: “But there is a sad truth to the world, Aphrodisia. 'Tis that celebrations honoring one pony or another are rarely for that pony's benefit, 'tis just so a bunch of people may entertain themselves by staring and gawking at them, and eating up all the free food and gossip with one another like fillies.”
Aphrodisia nodded rapidly as Antares smiled at his parents despite himself, and then he glanced up curiously as Scarlet Sage approached and sat down beside him, asking softly: “How are you doing, little brother?”
“I'm good... surprised, though. Did you know about this?” Antares asked curiously, glancing up, and Scarlet Sage smiled softly and nodded as she gently put down a box that had been tucked beneath one wing. The young foal gazed at her curiously for a few moments, and then he glanced up at his parents as they continued to half-argue with, half-thank Celestia. “They seem... they're doing that thing again.”
“That makes them harder for you to read, I know, but Mom and Dad are like that. Just look at them, though, and you'll see...” Scarlet Sage hesitated, then she reached up and quietly stroked through Antares' mane, gazing down at him softly. “You're okay with this though, right? Not just being a part of this, but everything else with... with our weird little family.”
“I'm lucky.” Antares smiled after a moment, closing his eyes. “How many kids get one mom that loves them, let alone two?”
“You really are a smart, thoughtful little colt.” Scarlet Sage said softly, and then she winked and ruffled up Antares' mane, making him laugh as he shook his head quickly out. “Good. I'm glad you're able to think of it that way. Mom and Dad are weird, but we're all weird. Besides... ten years, Antares. That's how long they've been with Twilight.”
“Twenty-two.” Luna corrected, glancing up, and when Scarlet Sage cocked her head curiously, the sapphire mare softened and smiled a little, saying quietly: “Aye, there was a period where... thou wert all lost to us, including Twilight. But all the same, Twilight was still with us. Every time we visited Looking Glass World... she was there. Her spirit, her Pale, always beside us, urging us on, giving us love and forgiveness. And during those years when all memory had been lost... still, we saw her many times gazing up at the moon and stars, did we not, Scrivener Blooms? I do not believe we... were ever truly gone from her heart, nor was she ever lost from ours. And so it has been twenty-two years that she has been beside us, intimate with us. And that is that.”
Antares smiled, and Celestia gazed quietly down at her little sister before leaning forwards and kissing her forehead gently, and Luna blinked before blushing and looking up in surprise as the ivory winged unicorn smiled warmly and said softly: “Almost everyone's arrived. Let's get ready.”
Scrivener smiled a little and Luna nodded once, a flash of anxiety passing over her features before she took a short breath and sat back, and both she and Scrivener gazed out over the assembling crowd as Celestia smiled softly. Ponies, Nibelung, others were all gathered here to attend and witness the ceremony, and Scrivener looked awkwardly out over the crowd as Luna fidgeted a bit, before smiling in something like relief as she glanced up and Twilight joined her side, murmuring softly to her: “They just want to see.”
“They may be surprised at what they witness, then.” Luna mumbled, glancing aside at Twilight and softening at the sight of her: her onyx studs gleamed in her ears, and a simple, pretty black dress covering her body, Luna smiling slightly as she murmured: “Thou art not wearing thy collar. Good.”
“Just like Celestia asked, for some reason. Why is that good?” Twilight frowned curiously, but Luna only grunted, and the violet mare studied her curiously before her eyes widened. “Scrivener's not wearing his, either, and you... did you take off your black pearl? You never take off your black pearl!”
“Shush, Twilight, the ceremony is beginning.” Luna said hurriedly, and Twilight glared, beginning to open her mouth before a loud hum filled the air, and all eyes were drawn towards the top corner of the field, where a band had set up.
A red pony dressed in a rumpled suit began to calmly play his beaten guitar, and Riffraff smiled warmly, glancing up as Amdusias joined in a moment later, the demon's grumpiness at wearing both a bow-tie and matching cufflinks vanishing the moment he began to play his soulful saxophone. Graceful Melody, dressed in a slim white suit, began to sing slowly and easily... and he was joined a moment later by both Sweetie Belle and Hevatica, the Kelpie strumming a harp at the same time in easy melody with the others.
They carried on the easy, wordless music for a good ten minutes, people gathering and settling as Scrivener and Luna both tried to calm themselves despite the mix of anxiety and excitement pouring through their bodies. Then, as the band fell silent, Celestia looked up and announced in a calm, carrying voice: “Today, we are gathered here to honor the marriage of Scrivener Blooms and Luna Brynhild... who have experienced more than twenty three years together, side-by-side.”
Celestia spoke; told stories about them, told those gathered of everything they had been through, and Scarlet Sage and Twilight Sparkle both spoke up as well, adding their own stories and anecdotes. Luna and Scrivener looked almost embarrassed by all the attention, shifting and blushing, but smiling happily all the same with how much compassion, how much adulation they were being given: by how much people cared, and the applause they received for their admittedly-strange but wonderful marriage and lifestyle.
And finally, Celestia smiled, glancing between Luna and Scrivener as she said gently: “Renewed commitment, and with that, a renewal of vows. Aphrodisia, please pass to Scrivener Blooms his Promise.”
Aphrodisia nodded, and the little foal carefully pushed the wooden box forwards before lifting it quietly to Scrivener Blooms, who looked almost solemn in his excitement and anxiety as he reached down and opened it. He carefully extracted the object within... and Luna smiled radiantly as he pulled out a braided vine with a larger, ornamented silver base in which rested the ancient, engraved black pearl that was as polished and pristine as the day it had first been carved.
He looked across at Luna, holding this quietly as he studied her for a few moments before saying quietly: “Luna Brynhild... I love you. And I renew my promise... to always be there for you. To do everything I can to support you, to always cherish you, to keep you close, and safe, and in comfort. I will always do my best to protect you, and I swear to never betray you, or turn against you. You are my soulmate.”
With that, he leaned forwards, gently slipping the necklace onto the sapphire mare, and she closed her eyes, taking a slow breath as it settled into place. His hooves stroked upwards, helping brush her starry locks back so the vine rested against the back of her neck, and she looked at him softly for a few moments before Celestia said gently: “Scarlet Sage, please pass to Luna her Promise.”
Scarlet Sage smiled as Scrivener stepped back, and the mare strode forwards and held up her box to her mother, who nodded to her with a warm smile before Luna flicked her horn, opening the box with a click before she reached in and gently extracted his beautiful platinum collar. The carved onyx and pearl that formed the crescent moon in the hollow at the front glinted, and Luna studied this for a moment before she looked slowly up and across at her husband, saying softly: “Scrivener Blooms. I shall always be there, to support and protect thee. To fight for thou, and fight beside thou, but never against; thou art my best friend, and my soulmate. And never do I desire it to be different. I love thee.”
With that, Luna carefully reached forwards as Scrivener smiled faintly, closing his eyes as she slipped the collar around his neck before locking it gently into place with a click. Celestia gazed back and forth between the ponies as Twilight trembled, gazing with tenderness and joy and not a hint of envy out over them... before her eyes widened as Celestia said with a smile: “Antares, please bring the last Promise forwards.”
Antares did so, blushing as he held it up... and Luna and Scrivener both reached down, opening the box and pulling out a beautiful black collar, with a white clasp in the shape of a lunar lily. Twilight gazed at this with shock for a moment, and then Luna and Scrivener both turned to face her, smiling into her eyes as Scrivener said softly: “You are part of our family. You provide the balance between myself and Luna... share a world in common with us, and it may be selfish of us... but we always want you here, beside us, between us, and most of all... with us, as an equal. And we promise, that... you will always have a place with us, in our hearts, in our mixed soul. I love you, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Thou art loyal, beautiful, and hast never betrayed us... and Twilight, if thou wishes to fly free, thou may always be given that freedom. But I believe, even if 'tis only because I am greedy, that thou belongs with us. We need thee, as friend and guide, our admired admirer. I love thee, Twilight Sparkle. Please, take this, as our symbol of commitment to thee, as an equal in our triad, as friend, confidante, and beloved.” Luna said softly, and both she and Scrivener lifted the collar gently.
For a moment, Twilight hesitated, trembling as she breathed hard in and out before tears spilled down her cheeks, and she clenched her eyes shut as she whispered: “Luna, Scrivener... I... I... I don't...” She opened her eyes, and smiled at them: it was faint, but it was radiant, and adoring, and she had eyes only for them even as she said: “I don't know what to say, or promise, I... I only know... I love you both, too, and-”
“And that is more than we deserve.” Luna said softly, and then she and Scrivener leaned forwards and slipped the collar around Twilight's neck, and she closed her eyes and bowed her head forwards as it locked gently into place. “Thou earned this long ago, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight blushed and lowered her head, then she stepped forwards, and Scrivener and Luna both caught her in a tight embrace, squeezing her fiercely close against them as Celestia smiled faintly over the three, shaking her head slowly before she looked up and announced calmly: “Then let us all rejoice at what we have seen here today. Let us celebrate this renewed union, and this openness and honesty, and welcome them once more with open arms. However similar or different they are, whatever our personal feelings, let us put everything aside for the recognition, understanding, and appreciation they deserve. Luna and Scrivener, congratulations. Twilight... I am proud of you, for holding your head high.”
Scrivener, Luna and Twilight all looked up as the crowd began to applaud, all three smiling warmly out over over those gathered as they rose their hooves together, Twilight blushing beet-red and Scrivener and Luna only smiling and laughing, but all three forgetting their embarrassment as they gazed out over family, friends, acquaintances and admirers. And beside them, Scarlet Sage and Antares Mīrus smiled warmly up to their parents as Aphrodisia yelled and cheered as well, swallowed up with everyone else in the celebration of a love that was strange but still true.