Case Eighteen, Chapter Ten: Til Death Do Us Part
A light rain, carried by the chilly winds of the Moon of Frost, pattered against the windows of the Apple Pie in Your Eye, the mist creating a phosphorescent glow around the blue and yellow lanterns next to the door. A sign on the door read, “Closed for private event.”
In one of the guest bedrooms up on the second floor, Phillip stared at himself in the full-length mirror, nervously adjusting the tie of his old formal police uniform for the hundredth time: he felt a bizarre, nervous itching and tingling in his hooves that would only abate if he kept them busy.
“You know, the last time I saw you in that, you were graduating from the police academy,” Bobby Baseline said with a grin, watching his son anxiously preening himself. “Honestly, I’m surprised it still fits you. And that you kept it.”
“Just never got around to getting rid of it,” Phillip replied, tugging on the golden aiguillette over his right shoulder. “And Rarity had to do a quick fix-up for me.”
Bobby chuckled. “Didn’t think you’d gained that much weight, son,” he joked, ruffling Phil’s mane.
“Your son was quite disoriented without your wife’s cooking to sustain him,” Suunkii smirked from the other side of the room, where he was helping Flash Sentry with his tie, dusting off the younger stallion’s too-large thrift store suit. “He had to subsist primarily off of frozen meals.”
“I learned how to cook,” Phillip huffed, glaring at the zebra.
“After nearly burning down both my kitchen and your kitchen more times than I could count,” Suunkii replied with a smirk.
“You’re spoiled, getting to still live with your mom and have her cook for you,” Red Herring told Flash, clapping the younger stallion on the back.
“Actually, I had to do most of the cooking after the accident,” Flash replied.
Phil looked around the room at the other stallions, then sat down on the creaky guest bed and smiled, a strange contentment slowly trickling through his body. “Means a lot,” he announced to the others. “You all being here today.”
“Ah, don’t get sappy,” Red scoffed, though he couldn’t conceal a small smile.
“You were the best stallion at my wedding,” Suunkii said, clapping a hoof on his friend’s shoulder. “Now it is my turn to return the favor.”
“I’m just glad that this day finally came,” Bobby said, seizing his son in a crushing embrace that forced the wind from his lungs.
Flash blushed and shuffled his hooves awkwardly. “I, uh…” He ran a hoof through his mane. “It’s a great honor to be one of your best stallions, actually.”
A moment later, he squeaked in surprise as Phillip and Bobby both pulled him into a hug.
“No, Flash,” Phillip smiled, tussling the younger stallion’s lightning blue mane. “It’s my honor.”
Flash beamed and hugged Phillip and Bobby back.
“You guys are disgustingly sappy,” Red scoffed.
“Shush,” Suunkii scolded him.
“And swoosh!” Rainbow Dash declared, gesturing with a hoof. “Came back into the runway so fast that the DS’s hat flew right over the fence!” She laughed heartily and stretched out her prosthetic wing. “An academy record on a metal wing! He made me go over and get it back and do wingups, but I could tell he was impressed.”
“Yes, Rainbow, I’m glad that you had a great time at boot camp,” Twilight sighed with a small roll of her eyes. “We’re all very impressed with you and glad that you got into the Air Force Reserves. But tonight isn’t about you.”
“Nah, it’s fine,” Daring Do cut in, standing in front of the mirror as Sirba and Rain Rhythm both made last-minute adjustments to her mane and tail. “Keep talking, Dash. Maybe it’ll keep my mind off of this stupid thing.” She scowled at her current accouterments: a white dress with gold accents and decorations of stars and roses woven into the lace. When she’d told Rarity she just wanted a cheap, simple dress, this wasn’t what she really had in mind. Could that mare do nothing halfway?
“You’re telling me,” Rainbow said, frowning at her own dress with its rainbow spectrum train and poofy cloud-like fabric. “I can’t believe that Rarity managed to make these so fast. Thing’s even heavier than those stupid Class As.”
“Then why’d you bother with it?” Daring asked. “I mean, I wouldn’t really have cared if you weren’t dressed up.”
“So says the mare in the beautiful dress,” Sirba chuckled, the multicolored beads in her mane, tail, and shawl clattering musically as she finished weaving a crown of white flowers into Daring’s gray mane. “Normally such attire would cause you great stress.”
“Well, yeah,” Daring grumbled. “But Phil’s gonna be in uniform and I wanted to look good for him today.”
“So did all of us,” Twilight said, adjusting her own fuchsia dress. “This is an important day for both of you.”
“It’s only natural that your family would want this to be special for you,” Rain smiled, giving Daring’s collar one last adjustment. She wheeled herself back, smoothing out her own pale blue dress, and cocked her head to the side, beaming at Daring. “There. You look gorgeous, ampa.”
Ampa. Daughter. The word echoed pleasantly in Daring’s ears. She looked around at her chosen bridesmaids.
Her family.
“I just…” Daring smiled and took a breath to collect her thoughts, looking down. “Thanks. All of you,” she finally managed to say, feeling foolish for being so inadequate.
“Anything for a friend,” Twilight smiled back at her.
“I am only too happy to stand by your side,” Sirba beamed. “To see you come so far fills me with pride.”
Joyful tears in her eyes, Rain reached up and stroked the back of Daring’s cheek with her hoof. “It means the world to me,” she said. “To be here with you. To have watched you come so far. It’s my great honor to know you, ampa.”
“Amey, in these past few months, you were more my mother than my actual mother was her entire life,” Daring said, feeling a few tears prickling at her eyes as she leaned into her mother’s touch. “The honor is all mine.”
She flung her arms around Rain and hugged her tight, both mares feeling each other’s tears dripping down onto their shoulders. Rainbow, Twilight, and Sirba both joined in the hug a moment later, all of them beaming and laughing quietly.
A rapping at the door brought them all to attention. Bobby opened the door and leaned inside.
“Ladies, we’re all ready if you are,” he declared.
“Okay, girls, just like we rehearsed,” Twilight announced, beckoning. Rainbow and Sirba followed her outside, heading downstairs.
“Ready, hon?” Bobby asked, offering his arm to Daring.
Daring stared at the arm for a moment, her heart dancing in her chest with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. Taking that foreleg and heading down those stairs meant taking her first steps into a new life. A new world.
She smiled at her reflection, compressing that nervousness into fuel to push herself forward. Daring Do was nothing if not adventurous.
“Ready,” she declared, taking her father’s foreleg and allowing him to guide her down the stairs, with Rain following in her wheelchair.
“You’re nervous,” Joyful Sound smiled from Phillip’s right.
“It’s that obvious?” Phillip muttered, turning to find that she was beaming at him, her unseeing eyes meeting his.
“I can hear your breathing,” Joy smiled at him. She reached out with her hoof and found his shoulder, patting it reassuringly. “Fret not; I’ve not met a groom or a bride yet who wasn’t nervous on their wedding day. Nervous and a little excited. You are, after all, starting a new life.”
Phillip squeezed her hoof with a small smile. “I’m glad that you’re here for us today,” he nodded.
“It's my honor and joy, Phil,” Joy replied, bowing her head.
Phillip took a breath to steady himself, looking about the Apple Pie. The tables, each one attended by their guests, were carefully set so that an aisle was formed from the stairs up to the makeshift altar set in front of the stage. Flash, Red, and Suunkii were standing behind him; opposite him were Rainbow, Twilight, and Sirba. His mother watched quietly from the front row, her hooves folded in her lap. Pinkie and Applejack were waiting behind the bar, Applejack gently cradling Endeavor in one foreleg. Rara was up on stage, waiting with the rest of the Outbackers.
Everywhere Phillip looked among the small collection of guests, familiar faces looked back at him. Spike. Doctor Mortis, her crystal coat glimmering in the light as she sat next to Captain Screaming Eagle. Bumblebee, holding hooves with Arc Light. Prowl, sitting next to Maple Leaf, with Skysong bouncing in the seat next to her. Cold Case, who was sitting by herself near the back of the room. Autumn Blaze, who was bouncing in her seat in giddiness. Steamed Carrot, standing at her post behind the buffet table; mouthwatering aromas wafted from the many plates of food waiting atop it, all of them surrounding the three-tier white chocolate cake. Honeydew, sitting next to her and Red's son Red Lion.
All of them were smiling back at him. All of them, even Cold. He and Daring had both agreed that they wanted a small, simple wedding, but the number of ponies that they agreed on inviting had surprised them both.
He smiled as a cool, comforting wave washed over him. Seems that they had more family than they had thought.
Muziqaa, clothed in a white shirt with a red shawl and carrying a white pillow with two gold earrings set atop it, glanced over his shoulder into the stairwell behind him, then waved to Rara. Rara nodded, then signaled for the band to raise their instruments.
A jazz rendition of the Bridal March began and every guest rose to their hooves. Phillip felt his breath snatched away as Daring emerged through the threshold, her head crowned by flowers, her white dress immaculate, her face glowing with joy. She met his eyes and smiled, her gaze locking onto his as she proceeded forward slowly, escorted by Bobby. Muziqaa followed behind, proudly bearing the rings.
At the end of the aisle, Daring released herself from Bobby and stepped forward to stand by his side, still beaming up at him. Bobby sat down next to his wife, taking her hoof as she dabbed at her eyes with a hoofkerchief. Phillip smiled back, his heart feeling like it was trying to soar out of his chest.
“Dearly beloved,” Joyful Sound declared, her voice carrying over the room as the band quieted. “We are gathered here today, in sight of the Holy Mother, to join Phillip Finder and Daring Do in holy matrimony.” She smiled at them both. “I have watched these two come very far, farther than any of us could have predicted. In a year, they have turned their lives completely around. Just look around this room...well, you should, it’s not like I can do that,” she chuckled, prompting a round of light laughter from the others. “All of these creatures gathered here for these two. It just goes to show the true power of friendship. The seeds of hope, honesty, loyalty, generosity, and kindness that Daring and Phil planted among the city have blossomed into this beautiful fruit and brought them both here. Today we celebrate that fruit with their union.
“The Holy Mother has brought you thus far, Phillip and Daring,” Joyful smiled at them both. “And now, all of us shall plant this new seed, start this new journey. Together.
“Now, the earrings.”
Glowing with pride, Muziqaa presented the pillow with the earrings upon it. “Daring Do,” Joyful Sound said, turning towards the bride. “Take the earring and present it to Phillip with your vow.”
Daring reached out with her unblemished right hoof and plucked one of the golden earrings, holding it as gently as though it were an ancient relic freshly dug out of the ground. She held it out to Phillip, looking into his eyes over the golden circle.
“Phil, you gave me a home,” she said. “You gave me a family and a purpose. You proved to me that I am not just my past. And the two of us kick ass together.”
Genuine laughter rumbled through the room as a smile creased Phillip’s face and he bowed his head.
“I promise to stay with you, no matter what,” Daring said, clipping the earring to his ear. “I promise to keep kicking ass with you, to protect this city and our family together.” She glanced around at the room, casting her gaze upon those she had just sworn to protect before turning back to Phil. “I take you as my husband, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, til death do us part.”
Phillip stood back up, joy racing up and down his spine at her words. Til death do us part.
“Phillip Finder, take the earring and present it to Daring with your vow,” Joyful prompted him.
Phillip took the other earring and held it before her. “Daring, you came into my life when I was at my lowest,” he said, a lump of emotion forming in his throat. “You taught me how to smile again. More than that, you gave me hope. A purpose again. A family again.”
Tears pricking at her eyes, Daring bowed her head to allow him to clip the jewelry onto her ear.
“I promise to always be there for you,” Phillip intoned as he placed the golden earring upon her ear. “I promise to always have a home waiting for you. And I promise that if you are ever lost, I will be your north star.”
She let out a soft little laugh and shook her head, blinking back tears. "You sap," she whispered.
“I take you as my wife,” Phillip said, taking her right hoof in his own. “For better and for worse, in sickness and in health, til death do us part.”
“And now, by the power invested in me,” Joyful Sound beamed at them both. “I hereby pronounce you wife and husband. You may kiss.”
The sentence was barely out of her mouth before Daring wrapped both her forelegs around Phillip’s neck and kissed him deeply. He melted into the embrace, kissing her in return and rubbing her back as the Apple Pie burst into applause.
Husband and wife.
The trill of a party horn announced a shower of confetti raining down from the ceiling. “C’mon, everypony!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Let’s party!”
The Outbackers started up their instruments once more, swinging into Lost in the Rhythm.
Phil and Daring finally separated, both of them still embracing each other as the crowd began to disperse, most of them gathering around the couple for congratulations.
“Look at him, Rain,” Bobby said, his voice choking up with emotion as joyful tears glimmered in his vivid blue eyes. “Our son’s all grown up.”
“We’re so proud of you,” Rain beamed, allowing the tears to fall freely.
“Thanks, mom, dad,” Phillip smiled back, his own eyes watering.
“Now, how about those grandkids?” Rain teased with a grin.
“Mom!” Phillip protested, his ears turning scarlet as his parents both snickered.
“Oh, enough with the sappy stuff,” Daring said, forcing down her own blush. “Let me at that buffet tabl--hey! Red, get your greasy hooves off that cake!” she shouted. The detective sheepishly backed away from the cake, Honeydew rolling her eyes good-naturedly as she escorted her ex-husband away.
As she headed for the buffet, Daring spotted a unicorn heading her way. Cold Case was wearing a simple arctic blue dress and had had her mane and coat brushed for the occasion. She strode towards Daring and Phillip, her face composed and neutral.
“Congratulations,” she declared with a nod. “Frankly, I was starting to wonder how long it was going to take.”
“Thank you,” Phillip nodded, smiling pleasantly. Daring nodded back, trying to smile back but not quite making it.
Cold looked back and forth between them, then her horn lit up. Something levitated out of her dress’s pocket and floated over to Phillip’s hoof.
An old metal purple coin with a faded 10 embossed into it in gold.
“I have my own now,” Cold said with a genuine smile, lifting up a new one out of her pocket. She looked over at Applejack, who winked.
“Thank you both,” Cold continued, replacing the sobriety coin. “For everything. I mean that.”
“It’s what partners are for, Cold,” Phillip replied. He stepped forward and put one foreleg around Cold Case; the chief stiffened in surprise for several moments, then smiled and patted Phil on the back.
Phil released her and turned to Daring. “I’m not hugging her,” Daring instantly said.
“Good, because I wasn’t offering,” Cold replied with a frown. The two mares stared at each other for a moment, then both of them smiled slightly.
“You’re a good mare, Daring Do,” Cold Case said, extending a hoof.
“Same to you,” Daring replied, shaking it firmly.
Cold snatched an anzac biscuit from the table and bit into it, letting out an appreciative hum as the cookie crunched deliciously. “You two going to make a speech?”
“Nah,” Daring replied. “We’ve already said what we were going to say.”
“Good. I hate wedding speeches,” Cold said.
“Me too,” Daring nodded.
Phillip looked about the room, his smile fading as he let out a soft sigh. “I just wish Trace and Mavri were here,” he whispered.
Daring bowed her head as a wave of grief washed over her, the faces of their lost friends floating before her eyes; in the back of her mind, she noticed that for once, she did not hear the scream.
“They are here,” Joyful Sound said from behind them. “The ones we love, so long as we remember them, are never really gone.”
“Thanks, Joy,” Phillip smiled.
“And neither of them would’ve wanted you to be moping on your wedding day,” Joy added with a smile. “Now get into that cake so the rest of us can have some!”
“Great minds think alike,” Daring declared, taking the cake knife from its platter.
The next hour was a blur of food and music and conversation, of congratulations and hugs and photographs and laughter and tears. The rain pattered against the window throughout, a comforting background beneath the night’s music.
As the celebration started to wind down and quiet, Phil and Daring both found themselves standing at the window, looking out into the rainy shadows of their city, their own reflections staring back at them.
“What’s on your mind?” Daring asked her husband, noting the grim line that his face was drawn into.
Phillip sighed. “Tomorrow, there’ll be work to do,” he said, seeming to be musing out loud rather than truly speaking to her. “Crime. Bad guys.” He paused. “Monsters.”
Rolling Thunder’s voice echoed in the back of Daring’s mind: “You’ve faced terrible things, we know. And we fear that worse things are coming.”
Daring closed her eyes and took a breath, tuning out the chattering of the crowd behind her, focusing instead on the rhythm of the rain against the wall, the soft hiss of the wind, blending with the soft rising and falling of her breath. For just one moment, she thought that she could hear a different sound behind it: a soft droning like a didgeridoo, a voice that sang in a language that she did not recognize, but that she knew spoke of love, of hope, that was telling her not to be afraid.
She opened her eyes and looked up to see Phillip opening his eyes and looking up towards the cloud-shielded sky, lowering one hoof from his Angkakert totem. Somehow, she knew that he had heard it, too.
“We’ve faced it all before,” Daring told him, taking Phillip’s hoof. “And we’ll keep facing it together. Us, and all of our friends. And, you know, our new kickass magical weapons.”
Phillip smiled and scoffed, then tilted her chin up to kiss her. “Daring, you’re a crazy mare, and I love you for it,” he chuckled.
“I know you do,” Daring grinned up at him.
“Phil, Daring,” Rara called, waving them over. “It’s time for your dance.”
Taking her foreleg, Phillip escorted her over to the dance floor, the guests surrounding them as the lights dimmed.
Rain’s didgeridoo introduced the song with a buzzing sigh as Phillip and Daring stood up on their hind legs, their eyes twinkling in the dark as they began to revolve. Siren Bliss leaned up the microphone and began to sing:
“You know I can’t smile without you…”
Daring rested her head against his shoulder, allowing him to guide her through the dance. His breath rustled her mane as he nuzzled her ears. She felt the loving gazes of their guests around them--her family was all here around her, surrounding her with the warmth of their love.
The world dissolved away. All that existed for her was this moment, this song, this family.
So she didn’t notice the raven that had flapped down through the clouds and landed upon the sill of the window. It cocked its head as it stared into the Apple Pie, one of its black eyes glittering unnaturally.
On a nearby rooftop, a figure in a hooded cloak stared down at the purple crystal in his hoof. The recording crystal projected a small image in front of him, showing him the interior of the tavern. He stared silently at the ghostly images, studying every face, every cutie mark.
His red eyes focused on the married couple in the center, their eyes closed as they slowly revolved. The eyes narrowed as they focused upon their target.
A brief flash of lightning lit up the southern sky and an angry crackle of thunder rolled through the sky. The cloaked figure ignored it, continuing to stare at the projection as the rain dripped off his hood, and down the pointed beak of the healer’s mask clipped to his belt.
His master had told him not to strike yet: they still had work to do, pieces to get into place, materials that the archeologist needed help finding. But soon, they would be ready to move. Which meant he needed to be ready as well.
Love is in bloom, a beautiful bride, a handsome--wait, who's that?
Well, you'll just have to wait for the next story to find out! (Though some of the fans of my old series might have an idea!)
I was gonna wait til next week to publish this, but then I decided, "screw it." Y'all deserve to see this.
I hope you enjoyed this series and are looking forward to the next stories! Please leave your likes and comments to show me what you thought!
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So happy to see them together, Daring and Phillip.
Now, who was that guy on the rooftop...
Loved it!
Glad to see the two get together, and of course more mysteries and challenges are on the horizon. Looking forward to seeing how it all goes and what you have planned for the future.
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Thank you all! I'm glad to see that people have enjoyed this story and are looking forward to more!
I was strangely excited that Cold Case attended the wedding. That was just a good moment to read.
I had a sinking suspicion this chapter was going to end with a raven watching the wedding. Haven't read the old series yet, so I only know about this mystery character from the end of book two, but I'm beyond interested on who they might be. I might give the old series a read, time permitting.
This story has been a delight to read, as per usual with your works. I found I didn't get quite as involved in this story as I did with the first two on account of this being more of a coda than a book 3 and having more of an overarching character plot than actually overarching conflict, but I did find that this story had some of the best cases so far. The case involving changelings for example standing out as my favorite case yet among all the stories.
It was fun seeing different parts of Equestria in your universe and diving into more of your worlds lore. The world of these stories is very different from the show, so seeing how you use the original source material is always interesting. Your descriptions and story telling always continue to impress and I cannot wait for whatever you have planned next.
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No, apparently I won't be waiting long at all!
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Thanks for the support! It really does mean a lot to me that you liked it.
Yes, I admit it: this story was meant as a coda to Kriegspiel rather than a "real" Book 3. Part of the reason I wrote this was to tackle some subjects and worldbuilding (including Phil and Daring healing from their trauma) that I didn't feel I'd be able to adequately handle in what I have planned for the sequel. It's why I've been so insecure about how my readers would perceive it, but thankfully, people still seem to like it!
For personal reasons, I've decided to remove the original series from my Fimfiction page. You can still find them on my deviantart page.
I would dramatically yell “CURSE YOU CLUFFHANGERSSSSSSS!” But I’ve done the same thing before, even going to far as to make a joke about how my laptop was currently dangeling off a cliff.
A good end, a great wedding, and an excellent hook for next time. Now I just need to actually get back to writing my story and I’ll be good
I'm kinda like Shining Armor from the episode where Lyra and Bonbon get married 😢 I blame the wedding march, that stupidly beautiful piece of music always causes my darn liquid pride reservoir to leak.
Joking aside, I enjoyed this dip into world lore that was a bit different from their usual escapades. The one downside is that I might have to go back to the beginning at some point and binge read this series to make sure I didn't forget anything like mysterious cloaked Griffons...
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Thank you! It really heartens me to know that people enjoy this work!
(Also, I believe you meant Cranky and Matilda)
And you didn’t miss anything yet, don’t worry. That chap is a new player on the field that you’ll meet soon.
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I'm thinking they are something a little more fundamental and eternal than just a pair of old Zebra guides/storytellers.
And Cranky/Matilda...how could I have mixed that up🤦♂️oy vey.
Absolutely splendid work on this volume. I really enjoyed it. You will be pleased to know that this rendition is in my top 3 favorites next to volume 1 and Kriegspiel. (Well it has to be there's only three of them...) This was a delightful read. Its sweet to see daring and Phil tie the knot. I'm a sucker for sappy stuff even if its short and sweet so I found the last chapter to be really enjoyable. I really enjoyed Daring's journey of self forgiveness through the stories. By far my favorite character journey throughout this tale. Its always good to see another character conquer their demons. It was always cool to see that in the show when it was still on air so its nice to see some of that here.
Side note: Just an idea, I feel like a story of Philip and Daring awkwardly asking people to attend their wedding would be pretty funny to read. Imaging the awkwardness between Philip and Cold Case really tickles me.
Another Note: Reading these really helped me through the very disheartening last year. Just want to say seeing you post these charters brightens up the day for me. So I really hope you enjoy writing these as much as I enjoying reading them. Can't wait to see what you have planned for us next my friend.
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Thank you! It means a lot to me that you liked this story!
Woohoo! Now to get to work on my next story...
Beacon Fire cheers from the sidelines
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Thanks for clearing that up. Unfortunately, as a fact nerd, I don't read fiction very well and am very easily confused. About the only fiction I can read now is Internet fan fiction ("literary classics" are all but impossible for me).
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Lol! I didn't mean to be a plothole, and though I'm fascinated by languages the only one I've ever managed to learn (in addition to my own) is a textual one. But "signora" for an unmarried girl kind of sticks out.
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Thank you for responding to my comments on an old story. As I said, I've always tried to keep up with your stories but somehow you got away from me a while back.
Oh, and excellent reason for the Crystal Empire being Italian. Of course I'm a big goofy nerd about Equish nations being counterparts to real world ones.
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You kidding? Comments keep me going. It's been a joy to read yours!
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Welp...nothing but harmless snakes up there!
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There actually are some timber rattlesnakes in Vermont.
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Oh. My mistake.
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No worries. It's a little-known fact.
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This wasn't paranormal. Just an insect that supposedly doesn't exist in this country. I'll send a PM.
What a beautiful, moving final chapter--and what a cliffhanger! As one who has been reading all the stories in order, this is really nostalgic. I'm so sorry I lost contact and didn't keep up for a while.
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Don't be! I'm just glad that you caught up. I hope you like Rising Nightmares!