Of Love and Loss

by tom117z

24 - Wedding

One Year Later…

It had been a little over a year since the sun turned red and Nightmare Nova had nearly caused the apocalypse, and just like Tirek, Sombra and other threats to Equestria it was quickly placed and left behind far into the past. In fact, the past year had by far been one of the most prosperous years Equestria had undergone in a long while.

After Princess Twilight had returned from her duties she, to the generation of ponies who had only knew her after the death of Celestia, seemed to be a new mare. There was a brighter, and almost younger outlook she displayed. Her once serious posture had become host to a warm motherly smile which she graced upon all her subjects, and the warmth of the sun seemed to become more welcoming than it had previously.

On top of that, Princess Cadance had finally come out of her self-imposed exile. She took a more active role in the duties of the Crystal Empire, taking some of the weight off of her daughter’s shoulders. The Crystal Heart also seemed healthier after the return of its master.

All of Equestria had undergone a change, and the dawn finally arose from the darkness.

The icing on the cake, of course, was the announcement of Princess Twilight and Princess Luna’s engagement, and the coming royal wedding that would stem from it. The announcement had come several months after the event had happened, after things had settled down and Twilight had returned to her duties. Many more months had past afterwards before the planning of the wedding finally began, and before anypony knew it a whole year had gone by.

But they had finally reached the journey’s conclusion.

Twilight was performing the breathing technique that Cadance had taught her as a filly, trying desperately to calm her frayed nerves as the ponies around her made the final modifications and adjustments to her dress.

She was currently in her personal study, which had been radically changed and cleared out to make way for those helping with the wedding preparations while Princess Luna was being prepared in their chambers.

The dress itself was a long, beautiful alabaster with some lavender added into the design to match the Princess’ coat colour. Her headdress was an assortment of various beautiful flowers crafted by the finest fashionista in Equestria.

The fashionista in question, the one who had designed the entire outfit was in fact Rarity’s granddaughter, Ornate. While Ornate’s mother, Rarity’s daughter, had taken more after Sweetie Bell than her own mother, Ornate was practically Rarity’s reincarnation with similar mannerisms and even hairstyle. Her coat was a light pink while her mane was similar to Rarity’s but in a lighter purple than hers had been.

Ornate had always looked up to her grandmother when she was alive, and had taken over the business when the time came.

“Come now, darling,” Ornate said with a smile. “There is no need to be nervous, this ought to be the most important and fabulous day of your life!”

“I know,” Twilight stated. “B-but what if something happens? What if changelings invade or… what if I’m a changeling infiltrator and I forgot?!” Some of her old tendencies for overreacting were coming to light after a very long dormancy, understandable considering the occasion.

Orante simply chuckled, and continued to place the final touches on the dress.

“I assure you that you are not a changeling, darling. And I assure you that you other half will be just as nervous as you are, if not more.”

Twilight shook her head with a small smile. “I doubt it, after everything that’s happened this will hardly faze her…”

---

In the royal couple’s personal chambers

“I can’t do this!” Luna shouted in panic, trying to climb out of the window.

“Yes, you can,” Cadance insisted, grabbing onto the frenzied alicorn with her magic and trying to drag her back as gently as possible so not to ruin the dress she wore, which was similar to Twilight just with a blue patterning instead of lavender.

Cadance sighed as Luna continued to resist like a naughty foal. “You’re letting you nerves get the better of you.”

“Of course I am! I’m getting m- ma- Oh by Tartarus I’m getting married…” Luna finally stopped resisting when she dropped to the floor in a daze.

Cadance offered her a warm smile as she gently guided Luna back to her hooves, the mare in question looking off into space as she let the reality sink in.

“It doesn’t feel real yet… I can hardly comprehend it…”

“I know the feeling, and I went through it twice,” Cadance stated as she continued on the dress. “It will all work out, I promise.”

“How can you be sure?” Luna whispered. “What if I mess it up? What if I do something wrong and she hates me and turned back into Nightmare Nova and it’s all my fault and-”

“Aunty…” Cadance just rolled her eyes in amusement. “For one who used to be the Terror of the Night, you are just as much of a drama queen as Twilight is.”

“In my long lifetime this is a first for me, excuse me for being a little nervous!”

“A little,” Cadance deadpanned with a raised eyebrow.

“Alright, a lot,” she admitted.

“You should try the technique I taught Twilight, just take deep breaths in and out with a hoof on your chest.”

“I’ll pass.”

Cadance shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

After a few more minutes of silence, Cadance finally took a step back and examined the dress Luna wore in excited satisfaction.

“All done!” she sung happily. “Oh my goodness, you look amazing.”

Luna blushed as she looked at herself in the mirror her niece had provided for her. “You think so? Do you… think Twilight will agree?”

“Without a doubt.”

Luna allowed her nerves to cool, and a smile to grace her face.

“Thank you, Cadance. I’m glad you were here to help…” Luna’s face became sullen. “I just wish Tia was here.”

Cadance gave the alicorn a sympathetic smile, before taking hold of her in a brief, soft hug.

“Now now, let’s not have any sad thoughts on this day of all days. Come on, the wedding will begin soon.”

Luna acknowledged her point, some nerves creeping back at the mention of the word ‘wedding’.

---

In the hall where Cadance and Shining Armor had married so many years prior, a crowd of close family and friends along with the typical Canterlot nobility were seated in neatly organised rows. The hall, and the entire city, if not all of Equestria had been outfitted with motifs of the moon representing Luna and the six pointed starburst that was Twilight’s cutie mark. All of the former element bearers’ families were seated on the front row along with Dragon Lord Spike and a slowly recovering Ember, whose illness was finally passing mostly due to the dragoness’ pure stubbornness and will to live. Both dragons had been magically shrunk down to fit in the hall.

Spike, as he had done many years prior, was acting as ring bearer for the two mares. Flurry Heart was standing near the front as best mare, while Cadance stood behind the pedestal where Celestia had performed the ceremony for Cadance and Shining during their own wedding.

And, of course, there was also Luna. She stood trying to control her boiling nerves in front of Cadance, waiting for the arrival of her beloved.

A moment that didn’t take long to come to pass.

Music began to play as the doors opened and Twilight Sparkle slowly made her way in. As ‘Here Comes the Bride’ was softly played throughout the hall all eyes were on the former Princess of Friendship, and current Princess of the Sun as she made her way down. Cadance couldn’t help but give a child-like grin as Twilight took her place beside Luna, and the two finally saw each other in their dresses. Awestruck is a word that wouldn’t do it justice.

“Y-you look…” Twilight whispered. “Beautiful.”

Luna blushed. “I could say the same for you, my love.”

Cadance cleared her throat, and began to speak.

The crowd listened intently as the vows were shared, both mares announcing their love for one another and making their promises to love and protect one another as long as they would live. Which, being alicorns, would be a very long time should fate permit it.

And, at last, the fated moment came at last.

“Princess Luna, do you take this mare to be you wedded wife?” Cadance asked cheerfully.

“I do.”

Cadance nodded happily, and then turned to her sister-in-law for the moment she had waited to perform ever since she had foalsitted Twilight when she had been a little filly.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, do you also take this mare to be you wedded wife?”

Twilight met Luna’s eyes, and the words swept from her muzzle with no hesitation.

“I do.”

“Then,” Cadance announced. “You may each kiss the bride.”

Cheers erupted throughout the hall as Twilight and Luna’s lips met and the world melted away around them. Cadance could feel their love for one another enter a whole new domain as one age for both the newlyweds and Equestria came to an end, and another began.

And little did they know, the whole thing had been watched by outside eyes.

The shade smiled with unparalleled joy at the image her friend was displaying to her. Watching that ultimate kiss of Twilight and Luna as their marriage finally became official, it was one she had been desperate to see.

“All’s well that ends well,” Discord stated. “It only took a few sun-boiled eggs to happen too. I cannot complain, the chaos of that day was quite filling to say the least.”

The two watched as the kiss was broken off, and their friends and family quickly rushed to congratulate the couple.

“Perhaps the scars left by Celestia’s demise can finally heal,” Discord noted. “It’s about time, wouldn’t you agree?”

He turned to find the shade in a world of her own.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Yes,” the shade responded. “I’m just… thinking.”

“Oh? About what?”

“Discord…” The shade turned to look at him in the eyes. “Could I ask a favour?”

---

The reception after the wedding had gone on well into the night as the country wide celebration had carried on. Many had come up to congratulate the newlyweds, and the moon was high into the sky having surpassed midnight by the time things began to calm down.

Many would continue to celebrate well into the morning, but others began to retire for the night.

This included Twilight and Luna, but they had little intention of sleeping.

Excited giggling could be heard throughout the castle as the two quickly made their way to their personal chambers. Twilight practically bucked the door open as they rushed their way inside. They slammed the door shut behind them and locked into a deep loving kiss.

“So, what do you want to do now?” Twilight asked playfully.

Luna practically purred. “I can think of a few things…”

“Oh please,” a voice scoffed. “You should really wait until you have privacy for that kind of thing.”

Both mares jumped, eyes wide as they looked for the source of the voice.

Both were surprised, and a little annoyed, to witness Discord laying on their bed with a pocket watch being held up.

“Honestly, I’ve been waiting for hours and you only now have the decency to show. How rude!”

“Discord?!” Twilight exclaimed in both embarrassment and surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“What? Am I not allowed to congratulate the happy couple? Then again, I didn’t get an invitation…”

“Nopony could find you!” Twilight objected. “Where have you been?”

“Oh… this and that,” he dismissed. “You know me, so much chaos to spread and so little time. Then again, you’ve done a wonderful job at spreading some chaos without me.”

Both alicorns glared at him.

“And where were you when my love needed assistance?” Luna growled. “We could have used your help.”

“And deny you the chance to rekindle your love?” Discord shook his head with tuts of mocking disapproval. “Now what kind of a friend would do that?”

“So, are you here to congratulate or annoy us?” the Lunar Princess asked.

“Why not both?” Discord asked. “But, there is also another thing…”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”

Without giving an explanation, Discord clicked and the whole world seemed to shift. The next thing the princesses knew, they were in a dark chamber with an ominous, pulsating obelisk in the centre.

“Where are we?” Twilight frantically looked around. “Discord! Where have you thrown us?!”

“The machinations of that fiend,” Luna said with an irritated sigh. “It had no end!”

Twilight continued to examine their surroundings, until her nervous gaze rested on the obelisk itself.

“Luna, does that thing remind you of anything?”

Luna too examined the object of interest. “Indeed, it is worryingly similar to the artefact found in the Crystal Empire on the day your brother died. The fact there is another is… troubling.”

“Despite its dark magical nature,” the shade spoke. “Its intention is far less evil, if a bit morally controversial.”

Both alicorns swing around to face the shade, horns blaring to life with lavender and blue magic respectively.

Its body was made up of shadow, and it held the vague shape of an alicorn. Dark energies seemed to spit off of it and the appearance of the creature only served to increase the princesses’ alarm.

“Who are you?” Twilight demanded to know. “And where are we?”

“This place is older than the rule of the two sisters, created by a long deceased necromancer of whom I have little knowledge. This room was specifically designed to communicate with the dead.”

“The dead? Does that include you?” Twilight questioned the mysterious being which held the shape of an alicorn.

“Yes,” the shade confirmed. “And I’ve been watching you, with the help of Discord.”

“Discord?” Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “But why would he help you?”

“Why wouldn’t he?” The shade smirked. “We are old friends, after all.”

The shadow making up the shade’s form seemed to melt away, giving way to alabaster fur and a rainbow coloured ethereal mane. Her eyes were lavender, her cutie mark the image of the sun and her face held the motherly smile she was well known for.

Princess Celestia stood before her sister and new sister-in-law, both of whom froze up as their horns became silent.

“S-sister?” Luna called out shakily, tears threatening the burst through the dam. “How can this be?”

“As I said, Lulu, this obelisk was designed to communicate with the dead. As long as it is here, I can exist in the real world,” she explained, though with tears beginning to make themselves known from her also.

Luna took several slow steps forwards, until she was directly in front of her sister. She timidly placed a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder, and when she made contact, she could hold in the tears no more.

“Tia!” Luna flung herself at Celestia, clinging on for dear life.

“Shhh, Lulu. I’m here…” Celestia said through her own sobs, nuzzling lovingly into her sister’s neck.

“All this time…” Twilight spoke without emotion. “All this time you were here, and you didn’t tell us?”

Celestia looked up at Twilight, who was barely holding it together. “I couldn’t interfere. I shouldn’t even be here. But I always knew you two would pull through, and I can’t even begin to say how proud I am of you both.”

Twilight couldn’t take it anymore, and she slumped to the floor as her motions broke down into a fit of hysterical sobbing.

Celestia and Luna were quick to rush to Twilight's side, and all three alicorns spent a very long time just sharing in their tears of both sadness and joy.

“Ah think this went pretty well,” Applejack stated, her and the other Element Bearers standing to the side watching the three alicorns’ reunion after using the obelisk to materialise. “How long till we should make ourselves known?"

“We should give them a little while longer,” Rarity stated. “The poor darlings have been waiting a long time for this."

“I like happy endings,” Fluttershy said as she smiled happily. “It makes me feel all happy and warm inside."

“I’m not usually into this kind of sappy stuff, but I can dig this,” Rainbow Dash stated. “Just because it’s the egghead and Luna.”

“You know what this calls for?” Pinkie squeed excitedly.

“A party,” the others said in unison, all rolling their eyes.

“A PARTY!” Pinkie shouted with a burst of confetti, unwittingly drawing the attention of the alicorns, Twilight nearly fainting immediately at the sight of her friends.

“Oops,” Pinkie grinned sheepishly. “Quick, move to the epilogue!”

Author's Note:

The epilogue is out now, proceed to the next page!

Comments

[Penguin Lagann]

Pinkie Pie. Way to make things happen.

[PonyPawz]

Ha. Bravo. Bravo. Good show. Can't wait for an on core. good job

[bpaul297]

Pinkie, always breaking the fourth wall, also ROYAL CANTERLOT SQUEE!

[Captain_Cosmos]

PINKIE!!!

Why must you always be so hilarious?

[DarkSnowGaming]

I agree with Fluttershy on this one.