//------------------------------// // Part 3 // Story: Happily Ever After // by Vanner //------------------------------// The Party Project, as Pinkie Pie proudly proclaimed the ponies, met at Balloons Cafe, this time without the charts or projectors that had failed so spectacularly during the previous meeting. Rarity paced the floor of the kitchen as the ponies waited for her to speak. “I’m sorry to drag you away from your jobs in the middle of the day like this,” said Rarity, “but if the message we got from the Chamber of Commerce was correct, any business that caters to Lyra and Bon-Bon’s wedding is going to be boycotted by the nobility. I truly want them to be happy, but I cater a great deal to nobles and I can’t afford to have that happen. I can’t sell them their dresses at any price.” Pokey pounded a hoof to the counter. “The nobles can suck my left...” he paused a moment to consider the company, “hoof. If they think for one second that I’m going to let a bunch of stuck-up blue bloods tell me how to run my business, they’ve got another thing coming.” “Bon-Bon isn’t going to let any of us risk our flanks for her,” said Carrot Top. “This is bigger than just those two now,” said Berry Punch. “We’re not living in the dark ages. The common ponies have more money than the nobles. Why do they think they’re better than us?” “They just don’t want things to change,” said Pokey. “It used to be that the nobles reigned over ponies with impunity. Now that the nobility is irrelevant, they’re clinging to power every way they can. For some reason, that means harassing Lyra and Bon-Bon.” “What’s with that, anyway?” asked Carrot Top. “There’s got to be a way we can help them!” said Pinkie. “If the nobles are going to be all mean to ponies that help Lyra and Bon-Bon, then we have to find some business they can’t hurt.” “They probably couldn’t affect me, but I’m in wholesale,” said Carrot Top. “I mean, I don’t sell directly to the nobility, but if they start boycotting Ponyville’s farms, that could spell trouble for everyone. You don’t own Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie, so you can’t do anything to help either.” “I’ll do it,” said Pokey. “No, you won’t,” said Rarity. “We can’t let any one of our businesses fail just because we’re feeling selfless. We need another idea.” “We could buy everything off the nobles!” “Like they’ll sell anything to us.” “How about we throw them a party of their own?” “What would that accomplish?” “Let’s just have a drink.” “That’s your solution to everything.” “You shut your mouth!” “You want to take this outside, fluffy?” “You callin’ me fat?“ “I’m callin’ your hair stupid!” Just as the two were ready to throw down, Pinkie Pie interrupted the fight with an air horn. The entire restaurant turned to stare into the kitchen at Pinkie. “All this fighting is getting us nowhere,” said Pinkie. “This is going to be the biggest party in Ponyville history. Big parties require big thinking.” “Fine,” grumbled Pokey. "Let's see your pink flank come up with something." “We need a business that’s isn’t going to be bothered by nobles not using it, right?” Pinkie asked. The ponies all nodded in agreement, trying to follow the logic train that Pinkie was pulling. “Then we start a new business!” Carrot Top put a hoof to her forehead with a groan. “Why did it take Pinkie to think of that?” she asked. “Because outside the box is where Pinkie spend most of her time,” said Rarity. “Still, I wouldn’t have expected such an elegant solution from her.” “Well, duh,” said Pinkie. “I mean, it’s not like anypony else was coming up with anything.” “There’s still the problem of the preacher,” said Carrot Top. “Ponyville only has one and he’s somewhere in Bridleburg for the next few weeks.” “Then one of us should become one!” said Pinkie. The ponies exchanged confused glances for a moment as the idea sunk in. “That’s brilliant,” said Pokey. “Why didn’t we think of this before? Now we just need somepony who has nothing to do for the next couple weeks, and...” The pop of an opening cork demanded their attention and every eye in the room turned to Berry Punch. “What?” she asked. “School’s out for summer, right?” asked Carrot Top. “Oh, crap.” It was about a week later when Pinkie Pie dragged Pokey out of his apartment in the middle of the night. Once they arrived at the edge of town, Pokey stared, blinking at the nightmarish structure that stood before them. It was the sort of structure that one read stories about in the paper. Things like “Illegal sugar lab found in basement of abandoned dance hall.” “You paid how much for this?” asked Pokey. “Nothing!” said Pinkie Pie. “I found it!” Pokey put a hoof to his head and tried to process what Pinkie Pie had just told him. She “found” a building on the edge of the city, managed to acquire the deed for it, and secure a business license all in the span of a day. As the night sky illuminated the rickety framework, Pokey stared in through the gaping holes, wondering just how Pinkie had done it. Sure, it was run down. Sure, it was covered in graffiti that looked suspiciously like the Cutie Mark Crusader’s capes. Sure there was a massive hole in the wall. Despite all that, the building was now the future site of Hearts and Hooves Wedding Chapel. “I find it a little hard to believe that you ‘found’ a building,” said Pokey. “If I knew the truth, would it drive me mad?” “Why would you be mad about a free building?” asked Pinkie. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash said they’d help fix it up tomorrow afternoon. So we’ll have the wedding here, Berry Punch marries them, you bring the food, Rarity makes the dresses, and I’ll bring the cake! It’s fool proof. No pony can stop us!” Pokey nodded in agreement. Everything the nobles had done to get in their way had fallen to Pinkie’s igneous circumventions. Berry Punch was a few days away from her clergy license. They had a building to hold the wedding in, and business to sell everything from the dresses to the catering. When the nobles tried to boycott it or shut it down, they’d find that it had already folded. Lyra and Bon-Bon would be happily married by then, and there was nothing anypony could do about it. They walked into the building and were greeted by the massive hole in the wall. Because of its size and shape, it was the perfect for a stained glass window. Pokey imagined putting in something classy, like a stained glass heart or Celestia raising the sun. “Alright then,” said Pinkie. “Fluttershy should be here any minute to help.” “Pinkie, you know we can’t go telling other ponies about this sort of thing,” said Pokey. “I still haven’t figured out who’s feeding the nobles information. What do we need Fluttershy for?” “She’s going to take care of the raccoons, silly!” “What raccoo...” Pokey thought himself a brave pony. A lifetime of adventures had steeled his nerve against the horrors of the world, but when a dozen sets of glowing eyes attached to a hissing mass of fur came into view, it made him scream like a filly. Pokey galloped into the night, chased by carpet of angry raccoons. Pinkie Pie stood in the gutted remains of the building. Her smile was enough to light up the building as Pokey ran past the door again, this time covered in a mass of biting animals. “This is gonna be great!” she said. After the kitchen disaster a few weeks ago, Bon-Bon called in a local maintenance pony to repair her equipment rather than sending out to Canterlot for a specialist. With the possibility of further sabotage, she had decided to seek out local sources for everything, rather than try to order by mail or have Lyra bring home from Canterlot anything she’d needed. Bon-Bon sighed as she fed chocolates into the wrapping machine. Lyra, Lyra, Lyra. Perhaps she kept running across her mind because they hadn’t seen each other in three days. She said something about her hooves hurting from all the walking and that she was going to stay with her parents until the weekend. Maybe it was good for them to spend a few days apart. Absence always makes the heart grow fonder, after all. Still, with the wedding only two days away, everything had reached a fever pitch. Letters poured in from the nobles, offering them huge sums of cash to just forget the whole thing. Business owners, save for Pinkie’s marauding band of party planners, shunned the mares simply for fear of what the nobles would do for even associating with them. Still, it hadn’t affected business much. Ponies still loved their sweets, and Bon-Bon’s Bon Bons was the best in town. The ringing shop bell summoned Bon-Bon from her kitchen. She emerged to greet two dapper young stallions she’d never seen before. One was brown and the other grey. They didn’t look like the candy type, but she put on her best smile anyway. “Welcome to Bon-Bon’s Bon Bons,” she said. “I’m Bon-Bon, and these are my Bon Bons. Welcome to Ponyville. Help yourself to a sample of candy.” She continued to smile as the two ponies lumbered around the store, bumping into things and sending her displays teetering. Bon-Bon cringed through her smile as the the grey stallion finally approached the counter. The way his eyes lingered on her flanks and hips set her on edge, and judging by the way he put his hooves on the counter, she could tell her wasn't here for candy. “You Bon-Bon?” he asked. “That’s me,” said Bon-Bon. She pushed a jar of her cinnamon ginger fireballs toward him “Candy?” The stallion knocked the jar of candy off the counter with a swat of his hoof. It tumbled and shattered against the counter, spraying the fiery sweets across the store. The other stallion moved past the counter and shoved Bon-Bon against the wall. “You stay away from Lyra, you hear me?” he said. “You set a hoof in your friend’s chapel and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.” Instead of cowering like a filly like they had expected, she swept a hoof-full of candies off the counter and shoved them into the brown stallion’s mouth. As he choked and sputtered on the spicy sweets, Bon-Bon snatched up a copper pot from the wall and clocked the grey stallion upside the head. The ponies skittered to the a tangle of legs, trying to avoid Bon-Bon’s swinging pot as she chased them out of the store. “And if I see you either of you again, it’ll be the last thing you ever do!” she screamed. The ponies on the street stared at Bon-Bon for a moment before she walked back inside. Bon-Bon simply tossed her copper pot back on the counter before sweeping up the display that the hoodlums wrecked. That’s the last straw, thought Bon-Bon. I’m just going to put an end to this nonsense once and for all. Berry sat slumped over the counter when the clatter of the shop bell woke her wine-addled brain from its nap. She blinked a few times, trying to remember where she was or what she was doing there. Two ponies, a green pegasus mare and a white earth pony stallion, stood in front of the counter with the sorts of smiles that Berry Punch had almost forgot were ever possible. She hiccuped and blinked again. “Can I help you?” she asked. “We’d like to get married,” said the stallion. Berry Punch squinted at the couple, trying to make sure these ponies weren’t hallucinations. They stood there, still beaming, still real. Berry reached under the counter and pulled out a scroll . “Well that’s fantastic,” said Berry with a smile. “What are we looking for? Traditional ceremony? New age hippy wedding? Married in a hurry? Shotgun Special?” “What’s a shotgun?” asked the mare. Berry Punch put a hoof to her chin, pondering the question. “No idea,” she said. “Are you pregnant?” The mare’s eyes darted about the room. “Uh, no,” she said. “Why would you think that? Oh goddess, am I showing already?” “Then that one’s not for you,” said Berry, stamping the scrolll. “How about the “Married in a Hurry” package deal. All the paperwork, a ceremony, and a bottle of champage. Only twenty five bits.” The stallion dropped a pouch full of coins onto the counter. She swept the coins into her register and passed him the scroll. “Fill this out, then we’ll do the ceremony. There’s a quill right here. Do you want to rent a wedding dress or a tux?” “No thanks,” said the mare. “How long is this going to take?” “About ten minutes once you get the paperwork filled out,” said Berry. “And that won’t even take that long. Just walk up the aisle when you’re ready. I’ll meet you at the altar.” As she wandered away from the counter into the chapel beyond, she paused to marvel at just how beautiful this place really was. Up until a week ago, it didn’t exsist. Besides the courthouse or the park, there was no real place for ponies to get married in Ponyville. With the mayor tied up in legal nonsense for weeks on end and the one preacher that lived in Ponyville tied up in Bridleburg, there wasn’t a single pony able to marry ponies in the village. Now, with her shiny new clergy certification, Berry Punch stood as the only available purveyor of weddings in Ponyville. The sun poured in through the stain-glass window, casting a perfect red heart on the two ponies that walked up the aisle to meet Berry. Berry looked down at the two and smiled. Maybe it was just the wine, but she found herself fondly recalling her own wedding day all those years ago. She cleared her throat, and began to read the scroll the ponies had filled out. “Let’s see,” she said, adjusting her glasses. “Your writing is terrible.” She looked over her glasses at the couple. “Alright, looks like you’re... Sand Paper? And you’re Cherry Clouds? Are you taking each other’s names?” “Can we do that?” asked the mare. “I could be Cherry Paper?” “Or he could be Sand Clouds,” said Berry Punch. “Really, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll just stamp your papers after we’re done.” Sand Paper glanced over his shoulder with a nervous twitch. “Can we get going?” “Oh, right,” said Berry. “Dearly beloved, we are here today gathered in the sight of our goddesses Celestia and Luna to witness the sacrament of marriage between these two ponies. If anyone should object to this union...” “I object!” yelled a voice from the back of the chapel. They looked up to see a white earth pony charging up the aisle. “Oh, crap,” said Berry. She flipped through her book in a panic before slamming it shut. “Looks like you get the super short version. Sand Paper, Do you?” “Uh, yes,” he sputtered. “Cherry Cloud, do you?” “Yes!” “Kiss then!” Cherry Cloud threw herself at Sand Paper in a passionate kiss that left Berry speechless. The charging pony tripped on a bit of carpeting and rolled to a stop in front of the altar. Berry Punch looked down at him and shrugged. “Too late, Pops,” she said, picking up the champagne bottle from the alter. “By the power vested in me by the land of Equestria, I declare you two crazy kids married.” She popped open the bottle with her teeth. “Mazel tov.” “I’ll have your license!” shrieked the intruding pony. He tried to drag the pegasus mare off his son. “Get off of him, you hussy!” “That’s Mrs. Hussy to you!” said Cherry Cloud. Despite the protests, threats, and other unkind words hurled in Berry’s direction, Sand Paper and Cherry Clouds were legally married now in the eyes of Equestria. Berry wished them a happy life together and sat consoling Sand’s father with a drink. “You gotta be happy for your kid, Tack,” said Berry, taking a swig. She passed the bottle to Tack “They gotta grow up some time and he’s doin’ right by that filly.” “I suppose you’re right,” said Tack, taking a drink of his own.. “I mean, who am I to stop true love? That’d make me as bad as those thugs who were wandering around town trying to scare people.” Berry’s ears perked up. “Whaddya mean?” “You didn’t hear?” asked Tack. “There’s a couple of ponies that came into town this morning and started harassing ponies that were helping Lyra and Bon-Bon.” “How would they even know who was helping them?” asked Berry. “Who knows?” sighed Tack. “Thanks for talking me down, Berry. You’re doing good work here.” With that, Tack stood and left the chapel, passing two stallions standing in the doorway. The pair of stallions looked around a moment, confused at the accommodations provided by Hearts and Hooves Wedding Chapel. Berry stood from where she was sitting, and walked towards the counter with a half smile. “Welcome to Hearts and Hooves Wedding Chapel,” said Berry. “You two look like you want to get married.” “Uh, what?” asked the brown stallion. He was still well dressed, though his face was smeared with what looked like red candy. “Married!” said Berry. “Greatest thing you could ever do. It’s so rare to see two stallions together. I’m so happy you’ve found each other.” “Wait, what?” asked the grey stallion. He rubbed the knot on on his head, trying to understand Berry. “Awh, don’t be shy,” said Berry, pushing a scroll at them. “Just fill this out and we’ll get you two young lovebirds on your way. I’m in the marrying mood, so just ten bits for the service.” “We’re not...” “Not perfect for each other?” asked Berry, taking back the scroll. “That’s okay, neither were my husband and I. But that’s okay! Things don’t always have to be perfect.” She looked down at the scroll. “Don’t know how to write, eh? No problem. What’s your names?” “Uh, Barbell,” said the grey pony. “And he’s Plow. But...” “With a ‘w’ or ‘ough?’” asked Berry, scribbling on the scroll. “W, right? Perfect. Now, raise your right hoof.” The ponies looked to each other, and both raised their left hoof. “Close enough. Do you, Barbell?” “Do I what?” asked the grey pony. Berry leaned in to the pony. “You’re supposed to say yes,” she whispered. “Uh, I guess,” said Barbell. “Do you, Plow?” asked Berry. “Sure,” he said, looking around the chapel. “Then by the power vested in me by Equestria, I declare you to crazy kids to be married.” She stamped the paper with loud thump and passed it to the two ponies. “Congratulations.” “Wait, what just happened?” asked Plow. “You’re married!” said Berry Punch. “Happiest day of your life or at least it should be. There’s a lovely bed and breakfast down the road if you want a nice quiet spot to celebrate.” Berry Punch eyed them with a wistful sigh. “It’s always the pretty ones that like colts. Figures.” The two stallions walked in a daze from the chapel, still unsure as to what exactly had happened. Plow looked at the scroll, then back to Barbell. “Dude, I think we just got married,” said Plow. “No way, colt,” said Barbell. “I’m not gay.” He coughed and looked around a moment. “I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that.” “Uh, totally,” said Plow. “Me neither. Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with being gay.” The two stallions looks at each other for a moment. As the sun passed over head, Plow saw a look he never hoped to find those deep brown eyes. Barbell had seen it too, and a moment later, the two ponies were locked in a passionate kiss that sent them tumbling down the stairs of the chapel. It was strange walking through the streets of Ponyville these days for Bon-Bon. Ponies stopped and whispered to one another about her when she passed, while others shook their heads. She had gotten more business from ponies wandering in to ask her when she was due than she cared to admit and more than once a pony came in to offer their advice on what to do to with her cheating mare-friend. She instead consoled herself from the rumors by snacking on her wares. She had put on a few extra pounds from all the stress and candy, which probably didn’t help matters all that much. Bon-Bon arrived at her cottage to find Lyra sleeping on the couch in her usual way: on her rump, head hanging off the back cushion, and snoring along to the radio. She couldn’t help but smile at her unicorn. Even with her strange ways of sitting and her bizarre hobbies, she was still the most beautiful mare in the world. Bon-Bon kissed Lyra’s head. Lyra’s yellow eyes fluttered open, smiling with soft warmth. “Well, hello, beautiful,” said Lyra. “Shouldn’t you be at your candy shop?” “We need to talk,” said Bon-Bon. Lyra turned right-side up to face Bon-Bon. “I have a better idea,” said Lyra. “Why don’t we have some lunch, then go upstairs and fold laundry?” “We don’t have any laundry,” said Bon-Bon. Lyra only grinned. “Oh! Um… we’ll see, but lunch sounds like a great idea.” Bon-Bon disappeared into the kitchen as Lyra closed her eyes again. She hadn’t gotten much sleep with all her recent travel. For whatever reason, she could never sleep on trains, and the walk to and from Canterlot at least twice a week was starting to wear on her hooves. The time away from Bon-Bon was getting to her, but it was all for a good cause. The smell of French toast wafted in from the kitchen, snapping Lyra’s eyes wide awake. French toast. Her favorite food. It wasn’t hard for a kitchen goddess like Bon-Bon’s to make, but for whatever reason she only made it when they had a fight. It was her way of apologizing to Lyra, but they hadn’t fought in months. Granted, they hadn’t spent much time together recently. Lyra trotted to the kitchen to investigate. A single fresh rose adorned the vase next to heaping stacks of French toast and cups of tea. Bon-Bon stood at the table, apron still tied about her waist. She motioned for Lyra to join her. “What’s the occasion?” asked Lyra. “Oh, nothing,” said Bon-Bon. “I just know how much you love French toast, and we had some bread that I left out, and…” Her voice trailed off as she stared at the floor. Lyra pushed aside the plate. “What’s wrong?” asked Lyra. “I…” “Are we out of money again?” asked Lyra. “I can get my parents to give me a loan. They know what’s going on. They know we’re good for it.” “That’s not it,” said Bon-Bon. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes as she forced herself to speak. “I don’t think we should get married right now. With the nobility so up in arms about the whole thing and money the way it is…” Lyra slammed a hoof on the kitchen table. Bon-Bon flinched backward in fear. “No!” “But…” Bon-Bon protested. “No buts!” yelled Lyra. “I thought we were going to spend our life together. Through thick and thin, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health?” “We haven’t made those vow...” “I realize we haven’t made our vows yet,” snapped Lyra. “But that’s what they are. Are you saying that’s not what you want now? Are you saying you don’t want to spend the rest of your life with me?” “That’s not it at all!” said Bon-Bon. “It’s just that we don’t have the money! If my parents hadn’t loaned us those bits, we’d be out on the street right now!” Lyra grabbed a basket full of chocolate invitations off the counter and dumped it on the table. The candy hearts knocked over the vase and spilled a cup of tea Bon-Bon had set out. “Did you forget about these?” asked Lyra. “We gave these out to our friends, our families. You made these because you wanted to get married on the day we met. This wedding is happening here, in Ponyville, on the date that we put on our invitations. I don’t care if Celestia herself comes down from Canterlot and tells us not get married. This is happening and no third-rate Duke is going to tell us otherwise.” “Lyra, you’re starting to scare me,” said Bon-Bon as she backed away from the table. “I’ve never seen you this angry before.” “And why shouldn’t I be angry?” demanded Lyra. “I’ve been working every day I could, trying to get us money for this wedding. It’s not just the performances that have been keeping me in Canterlot, Bon-Bon.” She picked up a lyre case and dumped the contents onto the table. Gold bits, silver bits, gems, and all other manners of small currency rolled across the table among the candy. Bon-Bon looked at the pile of money, then back to Lyra. Her mouth hung open in an upset shock. “You... lied to me,” said Bon-Bon. “What?” asked Lyra. “No, I told you I was working. I’ve been playing on street corners and doing odd jobs for...” “You lied to me!” “I didn’t lie to you!” Lyra shouted. “I would never lie to you! I was working! I’ve been working my tail off for months for our wedding! For your candy shop! For us!” Lyra slammed the empty case to the floor. “All I wanted was for us to be happy!” screamed Lyra. “I wanted a fairy tale wedding for the mare I loved, and I can’t even have that because some inbred ass thinks I should marry my cousin!” “You didn’t have to…” “But I did!” Lyra yelled. “I did it for you! Everything for you! I’ve worked so hard to make things easy for you because you deserve it! You deserve everything!” Lyra stomped away from the table tears streaming from her eyes. “And I can’t even give you the day you’ve always wanted.” Lyra’s glowing horn snatched up her lyre case as she walked for the door. “Where are you going?” asked Bon-Bon. “The wedding is off,” sobbed Lyra. “I’m sick of fighting everypony and their brother. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go try to act like a noble since that’s what everypony expects of me.” The slamming door rattled Bon-Bon’s cottage to its foundation, knocking a framed picture off the wall. It shattered against the wooden floor, and split into two. Bon-Bon looked down at it; it was a copy of the picture hanging in the restaurant with Lyra down on one knee. The shattered frame had torn apart the picture. What just happened? Was the wedding really off? Bon-Bon slumped to the floor as she tried to press the photograph back together. She could barely see the pieces for the all the tears in her eyes. In that instant, everything became real. Lyra had left her.