The two princesses waved in a stately slow wave as they were pulled along in a great cart, their manes glittering as much as the decorated chariot they were on top of. The crowd of ponies, many crystal, some not, cheered wildly as they went past. Shining Armor wasn't there. It was traditional there that the royal members of the ceremony would come first, held high for all to see and celebrate.
It was also a time to be examined. Their headdresses sent light scattering, each a perfect example of the traditional weaving that left their manes a work of art. The sun seemed to be on their side that day, shining at just the right angles to cast them in dazzling rays on all the ponies that had come to see it. Umbra owed Anik some extra thank yous for his effort.
She spotted a pony in the crowd. It was quite a crowd, but this pony she spotted was a unique specimen. How many other crystal bat ponies were there? Just one... so far she knew. They were watching and waving back at her. They were smiling, good. Good! Umbra tried to send a wave specifically towards her, but she couldn't focus on any one person. They were there for the entire crowd.
When they arrived at the palace, they waited for guards to come and offer hooves for them to step down, using upturned hooves as platforms, not to the ground, but to walk across an entire field of ready guards to reach the steps leading up into the palace. It was a show of successs and power in a way. To have enough guards and for them to be loyal and ready enough to pull off the stunt was a mark of successful statecraft. That there were two of them doing it at once had the crowd reaching a new level of revelry. Truly the crystal empire was doing well.
With a series of thumps, new arrivals came. Tsuki landed on either side of the cart, watching the curious ceremony with eagerly clapping hands. They didn't know the why of it at all, but it was a spectacle, and they were on board for it. All they knew was that the day was special, and special things would happen. And there it was.
"The kind shadow," one of them shouted.
"Protecting shadow," another one joined, prompting so many other variations of titles, which spread to the crystal ponies to shout their many given titles for Umbra. Brave, glorious, steadfast.
"Sorry," Umbra whispered to Cadance as they arrived at the steps. "Not trying to steal the spotlight."
"You soak it up, hero, and you wave at them." Cadance dipped her head at the audience. "See you all inside." And she left, not a bit ruffled. With their ascension up the steps, the guards began letting people in at a slow trickle, avoiding any sudden stampedes.
There was Shining Armor, dressed properly for a Prince Consort. He dipped his crown of crystals, a single solid piece rather than the intricate mesh of his wives-to-be. He had arrived first, but would be the last to be seen by the crowd. That was how it was done. "Good to see you both," he got out quickly. There would be little time for exchanging pleasantries as ponies and tsuki filled the throne room and lobby with eager eyes.
A Royal Crystal Wedding came in parts. An old crystal pony half-sang, half-droned out the history of the event, speaking of the first such wedding, and the ones that followed. "The political needs have come first for the rulers of the crystal empire, though love always found a home in their hearts. Still, those needs have created strange bedfellows." She went over the many strange families that have resulted besides the usual one stallion and one mare. Two of the same gender? Three or more? Sometimes not even a pony. "But love. Love always finds a home, and the heart binds them together."
Carried along carefully between two guards, they brought the crystal heart to the center of things. "The heart binds them together," repeated the guards, loud enough for the crowd to hear as they backed away, leaving it hovering there in readiness.
Shining Armor bowed to the heart, as did most of the others, even if it took the tsukis a moment to realize what was going on. Umbra and Cadance stepped forward instead, eyes on the heart until they were almost touching it, then they bowed as the others. The heart swirled and scintillated with new colors, revealing fine threads that wove from pony to pony and tsuki to tsuki. It was a single moment where all could see as Cadance saw, the connections of all bared and exposed. It was, perhaps, for the best that none save Cadance had learned what the colors and textures of those threads actually meant.
Or even what the threads were, ultimately.
But the ones that bound Shining, Cadance, and Umbra were impossible to miss. They were bright crystal tunnels that reflected the light of the heart perfectly, drawing eyes along with surprised gasps. More and more were looking up at them, amazed and bewildered at what they were seeing. Was the heart connecting them?
They didn't know that work had been done long before, and it faded, leaving them without the sight of the connections.
A mare with an exceptionally enormous hat approached. "Royal family; we would be doing a disservice not to introduce your kin and blood, for they will be part of this union." She said it like it was some kind of new, spontaneous, idea. They had gone over it several times. "Will the Shadowhearts step forward?"
Anik and Morning emerged from the crowd as if they'd just been a part of it, rather than picking their spot quite purposefully. Morning turned to face most of them. "I am Morning Dew of the Shadowhearts, daughter by adoption of Umbra Shadowheart. I will do my best to protect these lands, as my mother before me." She bowed to the crowd as they clapped, clopped, and stomped.
Anik stood tall, even if he muttered to himself, 'just trees, just trees...' He was not used to such crowds of living, thinking, people. Just trees... "I am Anik Shadowheart. I came from a dark place to bring light to the nation. Child by adoption to Umbra Shadowheart." He took a breath and let it out with a soft washing of light, flowing from himself in all directions. That it caught the crystal heart and made it sparkle was planned and distracting, allowing him and Morning to back out of the way.
With a glowing horn, Cadance pulled a stroller across the smooth floor to her side. "She is still young to introduce herself." She drew out the little filly inside. "But most of you have met her before." Collective awws sounded as they showed Flurry Heart to them. "Flurry Heart, child of mine and Shining Armor." Shining Armor stood beside her, the two sharing the pride of their precious child. "We will raise her with love." They would speak no vows on her behalf. When she grew up enough to understand the concept, she could make her own vows.
She did not put the filly back in the stroller, instead holding Flurry out, feigning spontaneity.
Anik hurried up and accepted the filly, hugging them close and retreating with them. A symbol, that the two families welcomed one another with open arms and kindness.
A guard quietly rolled the stroller away, for it to make the circuit towards Anik eventually.
"Hold on!" A stallion and a mare pushed through the crowd. "We're so sorry to be late, but..."
There was one more family, who hadn't been trained properly. All three of the to-be-weds cringed as Shining's parents hurried into view. Cadance recovered her stately smile first. "Always a delight to see you two." She waved them forward, but kept talking. "Twilight Velvet and Night Light, parents of Shining Armor." She gestured with her wings at each pony referenced. She was taking care of their words, silently hoping they'd just accept that.
Night Light nodded at the crowd, not properly bowing low. "Howdy!"
Velvet was grinning at the whole thing, clearly enraptured. "I never thought I'd get three weddings... out of two foals!"
"This way." Shining gently nudged them along with a chuckle, getting them out of the center in as smooth a hurry as he could.
Cadance spotted a third pony that had come with them, but hadn't barged out into things. "And..." She waved for that one to emerge.
Twilight Sparkle moved with proper formality, nodding as she went, but she turned to the crowd as a whole. "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, sister of Shining Armor." She bowed before them. "As your princess, I am already beholden to make this nation, the crystal empire and greater Equestria, a better place." They had not instructed her, but they also didn't need to. One could be sure she read up more than she had to. "May they reign for as long as the heart glimmers." That hadn't happened so far... But one could hope. The crowd erupted into fresh cheers as she removed herself quietly to the edge of the circle.
She put herself by Anik, Flurry, and Morning, sitting with them with a gentle smile. They hadn't planned with her, but Cadance's expression relaxed at that subtle hint of the strength of their bonds. All of their families were getting along, where ponies could see it.
"It is time," declared the big-hatted pony. "Place your love in the heart, and the heart will shine with their love, binding them."
Crystal ponies ducked quickly, formally, channeling their love towards it. The tsuki were slower on the uptake, having never witnesses it before. Still, they joined, trying their best to think of nice things at the heart. The heart pulsed and turned in place with the power invested in it, the threads between Shining, Cadance, and Umbra flaring into visibility, just to curl around their necks, falling in the transfigured form of a glittering necklace around each of them.
The big-hatted pony nodded with satisfaction. "The heart has spoken, and welcomes the union. Welcome our rulers and caretakers." Hooves and paws slapped together eagerly as the three smiled brightly at the crowd cheering them on.
With a sudden explosion, a party cannon went off. Pinkie was rapidly setting up refreshments and games for everycreature to enjoy, with Cheese doing his part to get it done quickly. With the stuffy parts complete, there was a party to be had, and both were ready to see that happened.
Cadance let out her held breath, chuckling with the release of the tension. "We did it..."
Shining threw an arm over each mare he was then married to. "We did it."
"We did!" Umbra curled a wing on either of them, hugging firmly. "I am so happy right now. Um... if I do something wrong, tell me."
Cadance gently hoofed at the new necklace dangling from her. "I can think of one thing you can do, Miss Enchanter, Wizard of many things."
"What's that?" asked Twilight, closing with them. "If you need a wizard, I'm right here."
Cadance went for a gentle nuzzle with Twilight. The two perked, and the song began. The ladybugs were awake. They giggled in their shared inside joke. "You are a very talented wizard, there can be no doubt... But I don't think we want to take these off... Umbra, can you examine them? Perhaps figure out what they are?"
"On the case." Umbra lifted the far end of it with her magic to have a peek at it. "After the party." She let it drop back against her chest. "Pretty sure they'll riot if we spend it just whispering and hiding."
Shining nudged both his wives forward. "Then let's greet them!"
Twilight jumped. Something had poked her. Looking over, she saw Morning. "Yes?"
"You are now my aunt-in-law." Morning inclined her head. "Nice to meet you."
"I'll just call you a niece. The in-law part isn't really required." She ruffled the top of Morning's head, even if the filly wasn't looking especially cuddly. "Nice to meet you."