Mending Light

by Kiromancer

Love

“Do… do I look alright?” I looked at myself in the mirror, dressed up in the bespoke snow-white tuxedo, a black bow tie at my neck.

“You look like a goofball.” Came Sun’s reply, my sister standing off to the side in the ready room. “But the suit looks really good, Night.”

I turned to frown, rolling my eyes, “Ha ha. I guess it’s too late to change my mind on the choice of suit now… but I just don’t know…”

On the opposite side of the room sat my mother, Guiding. She clicked her tongue in her mouth and stood up to walk closer. “Your sister is just being difficult. You look just fine, Night Light.”

“I do wish Dad were here to help me with this. I feel like the whole suit feels… off.”

“Well, your father is off playing security guard with Mrs. Ward.” Mom shook her head. “I think it’s silly. No pony’s going to try and disrupt this wedding.”

Sun giggled, “Not with… I don’t know? How many members of the Royal Guard are sitting in the audience?”

I laughed along, “If there’s somepony out there who can get through Dad and Mrs. Ward… I don’t want to meet them.”

The truth of it was, Windy had insisted on leading up what she called ‘Security detail’. I’d objected at first, not wanting Dusky to have to think about that kind of thing on her wedding day, but her mother had insisted that having her coordinating with my dad would guarantee that Dusky would have absolutely nothing to worry about today. This, combined with a few strings getting pulled in places we couldn’t see, resulted in a group of Solar Company volunteering to attend the wedding in full duty armor, along with personally picked friends of my father.

“Well, your father and Mrs Ward can have their fun. If nothing else, they do love sharing combat stories from ‘back in the day’.” Mom glanced over at Sun and frowned, “Sun you should go make sure the twins are ready. I’m sure they’re giving Frost a hard time.”

Tilting her head a moment, Sun suddenly snapped to attention, “Oh! Right, I’ll just head out and make sure they’re properly dressed and all. You know how kids get. Uh, later, Mom. Good luck, Nighty!”

I watched as my sister headed out, then turned back to my Mom as she walked around me and smiled.

She raised a hoof to my cheek and smiled. “Oh, my little Night Light, you remind me of your father on our wedding day.”

“Like Dad? That can’t be right… I mean, Dad and I are so different.”

Mom chuckled, “In temperament, maybe, but you have the same strength of character. It was just buried deep down, waiting for the right pony to draw it out. I’m glad Dusky found you.”

I blushed, nodding, “W-well, I think I found her first. I needed her more than she’s needed me, though.”

“Nonsense. Maybe she’s helped you more in finding yourself, but I can tell just how much you’ve helped her, and I don’t just mean all the fighting.” She snorted. “You give her something that she needs. You give her someone she knows she can trust. It’s why I know you two are going to last.”

“I… I think so to. I’m going to do my best. I know Dusky is too.”

Mom smiled and stepped up to gently wrap her wings around me. “I know you are. You’ve gotten so much stronger since you left. You make me and your father so proud.”

Biting back tears, I leaned into her hug. “I’m sorry I was gone so long, but I’m glad you’re all here today.”

---

I stood on the dais in my tuxedo, awkwardly fidgeting with the bow tie. I glanced up at the sky, the clouds had all been cleared that morning, and there was no chance of any stray weather creeping in from the Everfree. It was going to be a perfect day, and not just because of the weather.

To my side stood my groomsponies. Mahogany, my best stallion, followed by Icicle, Merriweather, and Starshadow. Across from us were Dusky’s bridesmaids, Terra standing opposite of Mahogany, followed by Twilight, then Ivory and Blaze, all wearing teal dresses that had been custom commissioned from Carousel Boutique. Merri was similarly dressed, while Mahogany, Icicle, Starshadow and I were all wearing bespoke snow-white suits.

Mahogany noticed me looking and nudged me with a hoof, “You actually ready for this?”

Merri grinned, “He’d better be. Sis, if he runs, you go right, I’ll go left. Gleam and Mahogany will have to intercept him from the air.”

Rolling her eyes, Starshadow sighed, “Do not be cruel, Sister. This is his day.”

“Hey, I’m just looking out for Dusky too!” Merri smirked, but her sister’s expression was having none of it. “Alright, alright. I mean yeah, you got this Flurry.”

I slowly smiled as I listened to them banter, “It’s… it’s fine. I mean, I’m nervous, b-but I don’t know why. It’s just a wedding, right? Not like it’s a dragon, or a banshee, or… or an army of mercenaries, right?”

Laughing, Merri nodded, “Yep! Just all your friends and family! And Dusky, of course. Dusky in all her sexiness, sauntering up to you to say just how much she loves you bef—” She oofed as Star struck her side with a hoof.

“Quiet, Sister. It is starting.” Starshadow directed her hoof over to the side, where the local band was set up just behind the chairs. The cello player tapped out time with her bow, then bowed to the band and began to play the opening wedding march.

“Let’s get this party under way!” Pinkie Pie popped up on the dais, wearing a strangely solemn gray dress, the only ornamentation being the golden necklace with blue cut gem in the center shaped like a balloon.. “Cause I am READY FOR YOUR MARRIAGE!”

I nearly jumped out of my place as the pink pony shouted, but a wing from Mahogany settled me down, “Uh, yeah, absolutely, Pinkie. Thank you for doing this.”

“Well, duh, it’s no problem, Night! You and Dusky are just so perfect for one another, and by the power invested in me by this big powerful necklace of friendship, I’m going to ensure you get married in front of all these awesome ponies so that this is the best wedding party ever!”

She beamed, and out of the corner of my eye I could see Twilight Sparkle hide a smirk behind a facehoof.

First down the aisle came my nieces, Sun’s twins Halo and Gentle, scattering flower petals behind them as they excitedly bounced down the aisle. They were in simple white dresses with teal ribbons tied here and there. To complete the flowerfilly’s look, they wore woven crowns of white and blue flowers.

The crowd d'awwed, watching the two fillies run up the aisle, until they reached the front where my sister reached out to wrangle them in. I gave them a smile, nodding in thanks before the music picked up, and my attention become wholly undivided by the entrance of my beloved.

She was gorgeous, wearing a beautiful custom dress she’d help design herself, one which I hadn’t gotten to see until just now. It was sleek, aerodynamic, if one could describe a dress as such. Dusky didn’t want to trip herself up on a long train or traditionally bulky wedding gown, instead giving herself freedom of movement. The shining blue and silver fabric was complemented by the teal collar that blended down into the dress in such a way to resemble her scarf. It shimmered with every step she took, the color playing across the waves of the dress to give it a spectacular impact.

Yet it all paled next to the mare who wore it. The way she walked, the way she smiled, it all struck me hard. If it were possible, I would have fallen in love with her again right there.

Before I knew it, she was stepping up onto the platform to stand alongside us all.

I smiled at her, and she smiled back, a look so full of love and trust that I wanted to break down and hug her then, but there would be time for that later. There would be all the time in the world, because I didn’t intend on ever leaving her side. Not after everything we’d been through, everything we’d built together. I trusted her with my life, and she trusted me with hers. Everything we were going to say and do today was just the confirmation of how we both already felt.

This was only the beginning of our travels together.

It barely registered to me as Pinkie Pie began the ceremony, “Good afternoon, everypony! We’re gathered here today…”

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

The end of an era... or the start of an even better one.

(Dangit Pinkie, not sure this calls for an actual Element of Harmony. But this is a super-happy occasion that’s been a super-long time coming! What would be better to bring than the Element of Laughter? Okay, okay....)