Chapter 2
Morning rays shone through my bedroom window. Almost laughing at my mostly restless night. I heard movement in the hallway and decided to stop wasting time laying in bed. I crept out into the hallway and followed the noise into the kitchen. Bon Bon had just set the percolator into motion and sat stifling her yawn.
“You look absolutely terrible this morning. Did you not sleep well?” Bon Bon asked quietly.
“No, I don't think I slept more than an hour after we got home,” I replied.
“We have just over three hours before we need to be at the castle to get ready,” Bon Bon stated. She kept her voice low and gentle. “Why don't you come sit with me on the couch after I get my coffee?”
I nodded sheepishly. Ten minutes later I was snugly curled up next to Bon Bon on the couch. Finally sleep found me.
“Wake up, honey,” Bon Bon said quietly. Her gentle voice chased away my sleep. “We need to get going now.”
Slowly I stretched the rest of my weariness away. Lyra was standing in the Kitchen doorway surveying the remaining decorations. I could feel her anxiety. Lyra's stance annunciated it in subtle ways.
“Well I think we have everything,” Lyra stated. She joined us by the couch. “Emergency bag of stuff, check. Lyre in case of music breakdown, Check. Purse for monetary emergencies, check.”
“You forgot one,” Bon Bon said playfully. “Family, Check.”
With a smile and a kiss later, Lyra seemed visibility relaxed. She nuzzled my head with hers before lifting me onto her back. We headed out the door. I enjoyed my ride more than I felt I should, after all it was only two blocks away and I took this trip nearly daily but still it was nice to have some pampering from time to time.
The castle entrance was already a buzz with ponies, far earlier than I expected. Cloudbreaker was visibly agitated which was unusual for any of the guards. Passing through the already open gates a number of chairs had been set up in two formations as per typical for weddings. Several of the seats were filled already by a few of Lyra's distant family. They waved enthusiastically at us as we passed, Lyra returning the gesture forcing me to resettle on her back. We reached the curtains which hid the stairs up.
Spike leaned against one of the pillars at the top of the stairs, his little black suit jacket already on. With the addition of a brilliant red bow tie he did in fact look quite snazzy. He was reading another of his comics.
“Morning,” he said with a stifled yawn. “You guys look as tired as I feel. Well except for you Lilac. You look like you didn't get any sleep.”
“She had a rough night,” Bon Bon said sheepishly. “Though I guess we all did. Is Rarity already here?”
“Yep,” Spike stated. “She is just finishing up on Twilight. Not certain why Rarity thinks it is going to take so long for all of us to get ready. It only took me ten minutes to get ready.”
“Well some of us have to do more than just put on a piece of clothing,” Lyra explained. “Either way we should probably get to it.”
Leaving Spike to his comic, we made our way into the makeshift dressing room. Twilight had a brilliant emerald dress on that was similar to my own dress for the day though hers was a bit more elaborate. The sparkles cast by the actual emeralds laced into the dress made the dress quite dazzling. With a few strokes of a brush, Rarity finished what little makeup Twilight needed.
“Well, I am glad we got you done early, Twilight,” Rarity commented. She gave me a one over. “I wasn't expecting to have to spend as much time with Lilac as I have to. But don't worry everything will be absolutely amazing today.”
I slipped from Lyra's back and leaned up against Twilight in a show of affection that wouldn't mess with her dress. She gently leaned into me as well.
“Didn't sleep well huh?” She asked in a hushed tone. I nodded my response. “Well I bet you sleep well tonight.”
“Well why don't I start with you, Bon Bon,” Rarity commanded in a loving manner. “Lyra can you go get Lilac a bath and by the time your back I should be ready for you next.”
Despite no longer needing help bathing, I had found the pony custom of more communal bathing to be strangely relaxing. Lyra helped scrub me down first and then I returned the favor. We spent an extra bit enjoying the warmth of the tub. My eyelids were heavy but no rest would come from closing them as my mind continued it strange energeticness. It wasn't that my thoughts were racing around my head just that they seemed jittery. Still the soak seemed to help that.
As Rarity had stated, Bon Bon had donned her dress and was looking spectacular as we reentered the dressing room. Much of the flowing dress was white with emerald green trimming and outlining the dress. It hid Bon Bon's pregnancy bump from view, which Rarity had explained was so that no one would think the wedding was because of the twins. A opaque veil that would covered Bon Bon's face and much of her hair which was pulled into a tight bun, was tossed over her head. The long train of the dress was currently rolled up and magically adhered on the rump of the dress. Rarity was busy making some last minute adjustments to the dress while also magically feeding Bon Bon small bite sized sandwiches.
Twilight was absent from the room, so Lyra and I occupied the bench she had been sitting on. I could still feel the warmth from her spot, so her departure must have been recent. I leaned against Lyra and rested my neck.
Bon Bon gave us a sly look, and explained, “Rarity didn't want me to mess up my dress, so she insisted on this arrangement after I had mentioned not eating yet.”
“Of course I did,” Rarity said her head appearing from under the dress. “I know how easy it is to forget to eat on important days such as this, but it is days like this in which it is most important to take care of ourselves. Did you two eat yet? Probably best to do that now, before I finish with Bon Bon.”
“Yeah that is probably for the best,” Lyra stated.
She acquired a sandwich for both of us from a small cooler that contained a number of drinks and other food stuff. My sandwich was a dandelion and hummus sandwich which was a strange mix of sweet and bitter, along with all the garlicky goodness of humus. Using my telekinesis I managed to not spill many of the crumbs.
Lyra's turn to be gussied up was upon her. From the bench, I watched as Rarity assembled Lyra's outfit. The dress was a stark black dress that was quite simplistic when compared to Bon Bon's dress. Where as the other dress was long and flowing, this one was sleek and nearly skin tight. On the halter top Rarity pinned an intricate emerald rose. She then applied a fine coat of a pale blush to Lyra's face and added a few touches here and there to help make her eyes pop.
After about twenty minutes it was my turn. My simple yet elegant emerald green dress fit just as well as it had yesterday. A few adjustments and I was about to hop down from the stool.
“Wait a moment, dear,” Rarity instructed. “I hadn't planned on doing makeup for you, but it won't do to have the flower foal look like they could drop from exhaustion at any moment. Let me cover up the rings under your eyes..”
“Okay,” I mumbled. I really didn't like the feel of makeup in my fur, especially not on my face. But a small amount of discomfort was worth it, to help make today perfect.
“You really need to work on your sleeping habits, dear,” Rarity commented softly. “I have an herbal tea that might help with that. I'll get it to you tomorrow or so.”
“I bet it was just nerves about today is all,” Lyra lied. She gave me a knowing look. “She is normally much better at getting to sleep at a decent hour.”
“I have plenty of the tea,” Rarity replied with a cool air to her voice. “It is useful to have around anyway.”
The tea wouldn't work, the other flavors we had tried hadn't helped either. In fact only the frequent interference of the princess of the night had helped keep them at bay. Sadly Princess Luna was a busy pony and wasn't able to always help during the night. Still I owed each of my restful nights to her. That and my visits with Dr Vibes.
Snapping out of my darker thoughts, I shook my head at the wrong moment and ended up with eyeliner down the side of my face and beyond.
“You really must stay still,” Rarity complained. With a wet rag she wiped the mistake from my face. “I only need a few more minutes then I will be done.”
“Okay,” I mumbled.
A growing commotion made its way up the stairs. Octavia followed by Vinyl Scratch, who was carrying a boom box of sorts, Symphonia Heartstrings, and Fluttershy. The four of them filled up what remaining room was to be had in the temporary fitting room.
“Good Morning,” Octavia said. “Both of your dresses are absolutely beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Lyra replied. Stress was seeping through her voice once more. “I'm glad you guys are on time.”
“I don't think I could possibly be late today,” Vinyl stated dryly. “'Tavia here made sure of that. Besides I ain't ever late for a gig.”
Fluttershy had moved over to sit next to Bon Bon on the bench. The two of them started to chat quietly.
“Brought up some music,” Vinyl stated. “Figured you guys were gonna be up here all quiet and the like.”
“Some music would do well to lighten the somber mood in here,” Symphonia said. She found a seat on the other bench near Lyra.
The bass loudly dropped. I jumped nearly out of my skin and landed in a pile on the floor. I withdrew, hiding within myself from the sound.
The music quickly changed to a more soothing and much quieter melody. Vinyl stammered, “Sorry about that forgot to change the settings.”
“Well, at least now we are all defiantly awake,” Lyra said calmly. “Are you alright Lilac?”
My shaking had yet to subside. Trying to regain my composure proved futile and so I laid there for a moment. A magenta aura engulfed me, bring a warm hug.
“Its alright,” Twilight cooed softly. She had entered the room through one of the other curtains.
Her warmth helped wash away my tension and I nuzzled my head into her embrace. A moment later and my shakes had dissipated. Rubbing the tears from my eyes smeared a faint purple across my hoof.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. I made a show of my hoof where Rarity could see. Fear reared its ugly head again and set my stomach to simmer.
“There's nothing to apologize, dear,” Rarity said calmly. “You were startled is all. Now be a dear and come back over here and I can finish up real quick, please?”
I nodded, and returned to the overturned stool. I righted the stool before hopping onto it. Rarity wiped clean the mess around my eyes and set back to work. Thankfully with no more interruptions she was finished quickly.
Twilight conjured another bench and had occupied one end of it. Being freed from my prison, the horrid stool, I snuggled up close to my mom. I focused on the chillstep Vinyl had turned on, and zoned out the rest of the world save for the warmth of my family.
Sometime later Twilight shook me from dozing. She said, “It's almost time. Why don't we go downstairs get into position?”
I nodded and we headed downstairs. Many ponies had already gathered and much of the seats were filled. At the bottom of the stairs Spike waited for us holding both his pillow with the rings and my basket of flower petals. His big smile portrayed his excitement. I shook the last vestiges of fatigue from my face and grabbed the basket with my magic.
In the distance a piano took up a simple melodic song, it reminded me of wedding marches from earth. With the start of the music, Octavia and Vinyl exited from behind the curtain which we all were standing. They walked shoulder to shoulder and Octavia was leaning her head against Vinyl's.
Both of them are wearing similar dresses to Twilight Sparkle and my own dress. Vinyl’s dress was shorter and cut more simple, whereas Octavia's was much more flowing and fancy. They took up spaces just this side of the of the podium which had a sun and moon motif displayed upon a large banner which covered most of it.
From the other side, Twilight exited from behind the curtain along with her followed Fluttershy both of whom wore a similar emerald green dresses. Fluttershy's dress was long and flowing similar to that of Octavia's dress though it had embroidered flowers spread across its entirety.
After both Twilight and Fluttershy had taken their positions next to the podium, the piano took an upswing in the music. This was mine and spike's cue to enter. Side by side we walked slowly towards the podium. I lazily dropped petals from my basket each temporarily engulfed in my aura. Spike stopped next to vinyl Scratch. While I continued towards Fluttershy coating the area between with more petals.
Slowly but steadily, and at the same time, both Bon Bon and Lyra entered from behind the curtains. They took up their positions closest to the podium. From behind the podium Mayor Mare stood up and took her spot. The music faded away until it was just quiet background noise audible over the slight murmur of the crowd.
“We are gathered here today,” said Mayor Mare. “To celebrate the joining of two families. Lyra and Bon Bon have decided to share this moment with us.”
“Do you, Bon Bon, pledge to take Lyra as your lawfully wedded wife? To light her sky as the moon lights the night? To guide her day as the sun guides our life? Through sorrow and happiness?”
“Yes,” said Bon Bon, her voice filled with compassion. “I will light her way as the moon lights at night. As also I will guide her day as the sun does for all.”
Mayor Mare turned to Lyra and said, “Do you, Lyra, pledge to take Bon Bon as your lawfully wedded wife? To serenade her night as the moon brings joy to the world? To enrich her day as the sun nourishes us all?”
“Yes,” said Lyra. Her eyes glistened with beads of tears yet formed that floated in compassion. “I will bring music to her life as the moon brings joy to our night. As also I will embrace her needs as the sun enriches us.”
Spike walked up and presented his burden. Lyra adorned Bon Bon's outstretched limb with one of the Rings. It was a brilliant Platinum Band that was woven together with a thread of gold. The enchanted band adhered to Bon Bon's wrist. Bonbon placed an identical band upon Lyra wrist,
which similarly adhered in place.
With Spike returned to his position, mayor mare said, “You may now kiss your bride.”
The crowd hook up a large Applause. The noise was too loud and I started to withdrawal withdraw into my own mind. Shaking overtook my entire form, and it took all my effort to stay standing.
Twilight's magic engulfed me, bringing me into her embrace. Her magic kept out the noise, and brought serenity to me. Awoken from my stupor, I watched as Lyra and Bon Bon retreated up the stairs.
Pop! Suddenly I found myself at top of the stairs. Lyra rushed the final distance up the stairs scooping me up into her embrace.
“Too much noise,” sad Lyra quietly.
“Yes,” I murmured. The shakes had not quite petered out yet. “It was just a bit much. I'll be fine though.”
“Sorry it was too noisy for you,” said Bon Bon. “You don't have to come back down, if you don't want to.”
“You made sure that there would be pie,” I said. “I can't miss the pie, so maybe just for a little bit.”
“You can just have pie up here,” said Lyra. She ruffled my hair playfully.
“But that just feels like cheating,” I replied.
“That's alright, honey,” Bon Bon said softly. “If you want to watch, why don't you stay at the top of the stairs?”
“Maybe I'll do that,” I said sheepishly. “Thanks for understanding. I don't know what I would do without you, moms. I love you.”
Nuzzling my head against both of their necks, I embraced my family. I took a seat at the top of the stairs, and they joined the celebration.
From my perch at the top of the stairs, I watched the party progress. At first it was just mingling Lyra and Bon Bon traveling from group to group and table to table, spending a little bit of time at each. Before too long they took up spots at a large table, where Vinyl and Octavia along with Twilight were sitting. Before to long, a large cake was wheeled out add and placed upon a table near the punchbowl. The newlyweds meandered over to the cake table where the confectioner had left a knife for them. With much ado they cut the first piece of the cake. After feeding each other bites of the Vanilla swirl cake, they retreated back to their table. While everyone else was grabbing cake a large army of cups of cider were placed at each seating.
“So we're all here gathered to watch my best friend marry her best friend,” Vinyl announced in a loud and commanding voice. “Which so far has been pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. I mean I could always kind of tell that they were meant for each other. Like two halves of the same pea pod. Still it makes me happy to see how happy they are together.
Vinyl took a large swig from her cup. She then continued, “I know that these last few months have been pretty busy for you and your new family but you rocked it pretty awesome, Lyra. Bon Bon don't let her lose herself in her obsessions. I hope you have a long and Rockin' awesome life together. Now its time for me to start this party right.”
The small pitter patter of feet alerted me to the arrival of pie. Handing me my piece, Spike sat down next to me on the stairs.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
Vinyl’s art loudly filled the air.
“No problem,” Spike replied carefully. “You seem like you could use some pie.”
The night ran long with with merriment and frolicking. Before too long I found myself in slumber.