//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: The Mane Six Chronicles Book 5: The Long Vacation 
// by KorvasTerindar 
//------------------------------//

Epilogue

"Ow! Stop sticking me!"

Twilight stood on a wooden stool, staring into a mirror as Rarity pinned a flowing white gown together on Twilight. At the moment, however, Rarity was pulling a misplace stick pin from Twilight's flank. Rarity let out an annoyed sigh as she tried to reposition the fabric she'd been pinning when Twilight had shifted. As She moved the pin again, Twilight did a full half turn to view a section of her dress in the mirror, the pick sliding against her skin roughly as Rarity again missed her mark. Rarity let out an irritated growl and used her magic to physically shift Twilight forward, so the rear of the dress was once again in front of Rarity. "Twilight, for the love of Celestia, stop fidgeting!"
Twilight visibly stilled her body while Rarity continued with her work.

Twilight grinned in the mirror at her appearance. The dress was over half done and Twilight had to admit that it would be going much faster if she'd hold still, various sections of her body felt like they'd been used as a pincushion already. Rarity's thorough irritation was pretty evident as she finally pinned the last section in place, her face was sullen and her eye brow knitted together. 

She moved around to her sowing table to pick out a decent thread to start sowing the dress together, Twilight taking the time tub rub the sorest parts of her body. Rarity Caught the movement and looked over her shoulder at Twilight, who's leg immediately snapped to the stool as if she hadn't done anything. Rarity threaded a sewing needle with silver thread and turned back to Twilight saying as she did so, "You know, it wouldn't hurt if you had held still like the first twelve times I asked you."

Twilight shifted sheepishly and endeavored to hold perfectly still while Rarity used her magic and began sewing together the gown. Rarity kept her attention focused solely on the dress, making doubly sure to not accidentally sew the dress to Twilight's skin. Twilight eventually let out a sigh and said sheepishly, "I'm sorry."
Rarity let out a distracted, "Hm? What was that?"

Twilight repeated her apology and Rarity shook her head, dismissing it with an unseen smile. "You needn't be sorry dear, its your wedding today, you've every right to be excited." Twilight smiled and nodded, a blush rising in her face at the idea of finally being wedded to her beloved dragon.

It had been a month since Spike had proposed to her, and in no small way created a massive stir in Ponyville at the news that Twilight Sparkle was finally marrying. Her entire family came to the town a week prior to help with the wedding plans and Twilight had been so busy that her wedding gown had literally come down to the wire.

It was now two hours before the wedding, which was set to take place at noon today, she'd been up since dawn just for her dress alone. Rarity moved around to Twilight's left side and began sewing there, focusing on her dress and little else. It wasn't long after Rarity shifted behind Twilight to start sewing the two halves of the dress together that the door to the fitting room opened and Twilight's mother walked in.

She walked over to her and stood on her hind legs, wrapping her forelegs around her daughter, tears spilling from her eyes as she stood there. "Oh my baby girl, you've grown so much...I am very, very proud of you Twilight." Twilight raised a hoof and wrapped it around her mothers forelegs. Twilight didn't say anything, she was at a loss as to what to say. Even now as her mother pulled back and smoothed out Twilight's mane a little. 

Twilight smiled at her mother, tears running down her cheeks as she realized how much she'd grown, it didn't seem like all that long ago that she had been wrapped in her mothers forelegs when she was little, the loving kisses her mother would place on her head before tucking her in. Even now, face with the prospects of a happy life ahead of her, filled with love and family, she couldn't help but feel a sense of distant loss at the knowledge that she no longer was the young filly she once was.

She kissed her mother on the cheek gently before wrapping her own fore legs around her mothers neck, sobbing gently. Rarity smiled faintly at the family scene as she cut the thread on the last seam, pronouncing the gown finished. Twilight's mother took the veil off the table and placed it onto her daughters head, standing aside to allow her to view her reflection. Twilight let out a teary laugh of joy at her reflection, the veil, crafted of white silk that draped down across her face was affixed to a wreath of white winter orchids. The gown was made also from silk, it shone with a silvery sheen as the light from the windows hit it.

It was simple, yet elegant, beautiful in all aspects of its design, the dress trailing out a good ten feet behind her. She turned to her mother and smiled broadly. Her mother smiled back and turned to leave with a parting hug. "Mom?"

Twilight's mother stopped and looked back at her daughter with a smile, "I know dear, I love you too. In my heart, you'll always be my little Twilight, I'll always be there for you in all your troubles, if you ever need me, you need only call." She smiled again as Twilight nodded, allowing Rarity to make a few minor adjustment as her mother left the room to join the wedding procession. Twilight stepped down off the stool and looked at Rarity asking, "Well, how do I look?"
Rarity smiled and opened her mouth to respond when a warm male voice came from the doorway, "As lovely as I would expect from my bride."

Rarity twirled around and bellowed, "Out! Go on, get out! Your not supposed to see her in her dress till the wedding! Shoo!" Spike flat out ignored Rarity as he entered the room with a large wrapped package under his arm, his crisp and very handsome suit making him look strong and imposing as he set the package on the table.

Rarity ran up to him and threw up a barrier of blackness between him and Twilight, so he could not see the dress more than he had. Rarity planted her hooves firmly on the ground and demanded in a firmer tone, "I told you to go! I don't want you ruining it!" Spike stared her down as he grabbed the cloth covering on his package and pulled it off, revealing the huge diamond that Twilight had given him all those months ago. Spike motioned to the gem and said, "I want to give this to Twilight, may I?"

Rarity shook her head and said, "No! A wedding gift, you could have done that after the ceremony, but not now!"
Spike raised and claw and Rarity fell silent immediately, unspoken protests failing in her throat. Spike gave her that look he'd developed so well over the years and Rarity's fight left her. She sighed exasperatedly and lowered the barrier. "Fine, just hurry up and get it over with."

Spike nodded and looked at Twilight, a smile playing across his face as he said, "You look beautiful Twilight." She smiled in return nodding at Rarity, who sighed and left, leaving Spike and Twilight alone.
Spike shifted a little from side to side as Twilight stared at him curiously. "Spike? Is there something you wanted to show me?" Spike nodded and motion to the diamond next to him, "I wanted to give this to you, but not in the way I am sure that either you or Rarity are thinking." 

At her curious stare, her eyebrow disappearing into the flowers of her veil, Spike lifted the gem with his magic bringing it in front of him. Focusing his magic he placed a claw against the gem and it shattered soundlessly, the fragments floating in the air like fragments of ice. Spike directed the fragments to float towards Twilight, the gem fragments fixing seamlessly to the hem of the dress, along all the seams, and finally all along the veil, making it look like she was wearing ice crystals in a cloud of white.

She stared shocked at the gown, words utterly failing her. Spike smiled at her and turned to leave while saying, "I'll see you at the isle my love." He walked out of the room and Rarity came back in, her jaw about fell off as she beheld the modified gown. "Oh my...did Spike do that?" Twilight nodded as she smoothed out the front of her gown, the diamonds sticking fast to the fabric. Rarity worked her mouth a few times, no sound coming from here as she examined the dress.

Rarity eventually shook her head and said, "I suppose I can forgive him coming to see you for this, he simply must teach me how to do that!" Twilight let out a snort of laughter as she picked up the bouquet of flowers and moved to the door, "Well, Rarity. I guess this is it, we better not keep to wedding waiting." Rarity smiled and nodded, opening the door and following Twilight out of the room.

The noon sun hung high in the sky, its warm rays shining down onto Ponyville and it inhabitants, all assembled on the outskirts of town, a large area of the plains beside the town had been changed into a glorious depiction of spring. Though the land was locked in the grip of winter, this area was warm and dry, Spring lilies and wild flowers grew in the area, coating it in a carpet of multicolored blossoms. Ponies of various colors, of every kind of hue were grouped around, all chatting together excitedly at the union to be held here this day. 

All of Twilight's friends stood at the front of the crowd, smiling broadly as the minutes ticked by. At the front of the procession stood Spike, Shining Armor standing beside him as the best man, an odd choice but one Spike had felt appropriate. Spike was shifting from side to side, obviously anxious, eventually necessitating Celestia, who was leading the procession to put a hoof on his shoulder and nod silently.
Reassured by the Princess, Spike took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

It was then that the music began, the wedding march picked up as Spike turned in the direction of the isle. The crowd let out gasps of awe and wonder as Twilight appeared at the end of the isle, her gown practically glowing with the light of the sun glittering off her. Her father stood next to her, head held high in pride as he walked along with his daughter. Following behind Twilight, carrying the trailing end of her garment were Sweetie Belle and Apple bloom, each of them wearing flowing gowns of white that matched Twilight's. When they finally reached the front of the group, Twilight took her place beside Spike and sighed happily as her father looked at Spike.
Celestia cleared her throat and the music and crowd immediately fell silent.

Celestia smiled at both Twilight and Spike before speaking, "My friends, we are gathered together today to bear witness to the union of Spike and Twilight Sparkle. I would like to take a few moments to speak before the vows." She closed her eyes and looked up at the sun, sighing lightly before continuing.
"Love is one of the most beautiful forces in this world, it binds us in ways that none can fully understand. It surpasses our ability to understand it and defies all our ideas on how it should work. My friends, here we have before us love in its purest form. Now, let us proceed." As Celestia looked back down at the group, her two children came out from the back of the crowd and moved to the front to stand alongside all of Twilight and Spike's friends amidst the many gasps and cries from the crowd. Celestia nodded to both of them with a smile and proceeded to explain to the crowd at large of who they were.

When she had finished, she forestalled all the coming questions with a raised hoof and said, "We will have a question session after I've sent these two on their honeymoon. Now, shall we?" This statement caused both Spike and Twilight to blush as they nodded.
Celestia looked at Twilight's father and said, "Do you give Twilight, your daughter, to be Spike's bride with your blessings?" Twilight looked out of the corner of her eye at her father and was pleased to see him nod, knowing full well that he would.

Spike turned to Twilight and pulled her veil back, taking one of her forelegs in his claws before speaking his vows,
"Twilight Sparkle, my love. I vow to love you forever, to be with you through all the hardships and all the joy. I shall be with you, even as the sun goes down in the horizon and the moon rise at night, I shall be with you. My heart is yours, my love is yours, my life is yours."

Twilight had tears in her eyes as she felt his vows echoing in her very soul. She smiled, yearning to kiss him, holding back the urge and reciting her vows,
"Spike, my love, I vow to love you forever more, to be their for you always as a wife should. I will bear your burdens with you, I will share your pain. I will bear your children, I will raise them with all that I am and above all else, be yours and yours alone."

Celestia nodded and said, "Spike, Twilight, upon the confession of your love for one another and the exchanging of your vows, I hereby confer upon you my blessing, May the two of you live long lives together, filled with joy, love, and happiness. May the two of you find comfort in each other and always be in each others hearts." She moved toward Twilight and placed her horn against her head, whispering to her, "Twilight, my gift to you, for as long as Spike shall live, so too shall you. Neither of you will suffer the pain of losing the other." 

One of Celestia's tears slid from her eyes as she focused her magic and a gold band appeared at the base of Twilight horn, a formality of the ceremony, a mark of the bond she would soon share with Spike. Celestia moved to Spike next, setting her horn against his head and whispering a quite blessing to him. Her horn glowed and the golden band appeared on Spike's left claw.

Celestia stepped back from them and said with a loud voice, "As all here bear witness to the vows that have been shared by these two, by the power vested in me by the crown I bear and the position of Princess of the sun, I hereby pronounce that these two be bound together as dragon and mare. May they live in love for the rest of their days."
Celestia nodded to Spike who needed no further encouragement. 

Spike took Twilight's other fore hoof into his claw and lifted her to her hind legs, brushing back an escaped lock of her mane, cupping her jaw in his claw, he leaned in close, pausing just short of her lips to whisper, "I love you..." With that he closed the infinitesimal gap and kissed her lovingly to thunderous cheers from the crowd.

As they turned to the crowd, walking down towards them, they both couldn't hide their smiles as the crowd rushed towards them, their friends and family at the head of the group. Even as they were swamped by friends, cheering and congratulating all around, Spike felt distant as he reflected on the past. It had started five months ago, hard to believe it but it had only been five months. He had started with the intent to keep Twilight happy and cheerful in her forced vacation and as time had advanced, the vacation had evolved into so much more.

They had entered into it as friends and had emerged from it as a wedded couple. To some degree, it was almost overwhelming but even as he stood there, with his new wife next to him, he was confident in saying that no matter what happened, they would never be divided. Spike swept Twilight off her hooves and into his arms, the cheering of the crowd so much meaningless noise as he stared deep into her eyes, his heart burning with a feeling best described as passion as he leaned in and whispered into her ear,
"Twilight, I love you..."
Twilight smiled in response and said, "I love you too."

With that, they joined their friends in their celebration, no longer just friends, no longer just lovers, but now, so much more... they were a family.

Fin