• Published 12th Jun 2024
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A Not-So-Royal Las Pegasus Wedding - The Lord Thunder



Starlight and Sunburst are finally getting married! Will everything go without a hitch, or will mishaps throw a wrench in everypony's plans?

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The Rehearsal

Starlight Glimmer paced back and forth outside the door to the chapel, a look of anger mixed with embarrassment on her face. “Sunburst, it was a disaster! Seriously, who starts a food fight at a rehearsal dinner?”

“A yak, apparently,” Sunburst said, recalling Yona as the instigator. “I’m not looking down on Yakyakistani traditions or anything, but–”

“I don’t care where she’s from, that was barbaric!” Starlight hissed. “This is supposed to be a wedding and it’s already turned into a circus. Honestly, I blame Smolder for this. If she hadn’t pranked Gallus with that dragon pepper in the first place, none of this would have happened!”

Sunburst nodded, understanding Starlight’s frustration. “I know, it wasn’t what we expected, but it’s in the past now. You don’t want to let it ruin the rest of our wedding, do you?”

Starlight stopped her pacing and looked at Sunburst, the fire in her eyes beginning to subside. “I just wanted everything to be perfect, you know? This is supposed to be our time, and it already feels like it’s falling apart.”

Sunburst placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I wanted it to be perfect, too, and it still can be. It’s not over until I kiss the bride, right?” He smiled and gave her a wink.

Starlight couldn’t help but smile back, her anger all but gone. “Thanks, Sunburst. You always know how to make me feel better.”

“That’s my job.” Sunburst pulled her into a hug.

When Stellar Flare stepped into the chapel, she met Rarity with a roll of her eyes. “Still haven’t finished with the decorating, I see.”

“Well, it was only an hour between our previous discussion and the rehearsal dinner,” Rarity replied. “Forgive me if I spent the last half an hour washing vinaigrette and ranch dressing out of my mane.”

“Like a pie to the face is any better,” Stellar grumbled.

“In any case, I suppose I’ll be staying up late tonight finishing the decorating.”

Once everypony had arrived, Twilight stepped up to the podium and spoke into the microphone. “Thank you, everypony, for coming to Starlight and Sunburst’s wedding rehearsal. Um… well, I’ve never officiated a wedding before so bear with me.” She stopped on a nervous giggle. “Let’s see… I read through this several times…”

Starlight swallowed a tense lump in her throat from her spot in the hallway that ran perpendicular to the wedding aisle where the parents, bridesmares and groomscolts waited.

Applejack chuckled. “Of course she did. Same old Twi.”

“I was about to say the same thing,” Sunset added.

“...and so, without further ado, we’ll get started.” Twilight hesitated a moment, then pulled a book from the podium entitled Wedding Officiating for Derps.

Starlight ran her hoof across her face. “Is she serious?”

“Easy, hun,” Sunburst said, rubbing Starlight’s back. “I’m sure she’s just nervous.”

Trixie smiled, holding her nose high. “Well, I guess public speaking is one thing I can do better than her. Trixie never was afraid of an audience.”

“Is this what you call having everything planned out, Sunburst?” Stellar Flare asked. “She might be the princess, but having to consult a reference book is a clear sign of disorganization.”

“Have a little faith in Twilight, you guys,” Spike interjected. “She’s totally got this.”

“Okay, first up is the groom and the groom’s mother,” Twilight called out. “Sunburst, Stellar Flare, please approach the podium. The best colt, or best dragon in our case, should walk with you. The groomscolts will then follow.”

Sunburst escorted Stellar Flare down the aisle, flanked by Spike. The groomscolts followed suit, who lined up on the left of the podium.

“Okay, the flower girl and the ring bearer are next!” Twilight yelled.

Flurry Heart skipped into the aisle, spreading lavender and orange petals as she went. Pound Cake followed, carrying a mockup of the black ring box. As he trotted down the aisle, he slipped on one of Flurry’s petals and met the floor with a faceplant.

The little pegasus sat up, lower lip quivering with tears welling in his eyes. The ensuing wail rang through the cathedral. Flurry Heart turned to check on him and he let out another scream, right in Flurry’s ear. Her face twisted into a grimace.

“Oh, this isn’t good,” Spike said. “You might wanna plug your ears.”

Starlight and Sunburst went prone, clamped their hooves over their ears and braced themselves as a deafening cry and waves of alicorn power shook the entire cathedral. The supersonic wailing continued until Cadance retrieved Flurry and calmed her with a motherly embrace.

“I don’t wanna be the ring bearer anymore!” Pound Cake cried as his parents carried him back to their seats.

As the cathedral slowly returned to a semblance of calm, Starlight drooped and shook her head in embarrassment. Twilight glanced around, tapping her hoof while she waited for everyone to recover from the ear-shattering noise.

“That could have gone better,” Starlight moaned.

Sunset Shimmer scratched the back of her neck. “Well, what’s a wedding without a little drama, huh?”

“I think we’ve had enough drama for one night,” Stellar Flare said.

The cries faded away, allowing silence to set in and Twilight to take the floor. “Last, but certainly not least, our pianist will play a bridal tune. The bride will then approach the altar, escorted by her father and the bridesmares will follow.”

“Stop stressing, Pumpkin,” Firelight whispered, offering Starlight his foreleg. “It was just a little mishap.”

Not the first of tonight’s long list of mishaps.

Starlight took her father’s leg and they walked down the aisle, side-by-side. Trixie led the bridesmares behind them, who lined up on the right side of the podium. Starlight met Sunburst’s eyes and he smiled warmly at her. She smiled back.

Twilight opened her mouth to say something but stopped short to check her book. “Wait a minute, this is all wrong. The groom and his entourage should be on the right side of the podium. The bride and bridesmares should be on the left.”

The sounds of snickering filled Starlight’s ears and she gave a nervous laugh of her own as everypony swapped sides, her cheeks burning as she looked to Sunburst for comfort.

“I thought everypony knew that,” Starlight heard Rarity whisper, further burying Starlight in humiliation. Sunburst’s face reddened.

Stellar Flare stood up from her seat. “Excuse me, your highness, but how have you not come prepared? This is my son’s wedding!”

Twilight hid her face–and embarrassment–in the book. “Heh. Good thing this is just the rehearsal, huh?” Twilight glanced at Starlight, noting the ‘get me out of here’ look on her face, and her ears drooped. “I’m sorry, Starlight, Sunburst."

“No, it’s okay,” Starlight said. That’s a lie. It’s definitely not okay. “Let’s continue.”

“Right,” Twilight sighed. “Now it’s at this point I will say my part, then you two will hold each other’s hoof. Remember to look at your partner like they’re the only pony in the room.”

Sunburst nodded, genuine affection in his eyes as Starlight met a gaze that set her heart on fire.

“And then I’ll read you the vows, you’ll say ‘I do’ and that’ll be a wrap.”

“Okay,” Sunburst sighed. “Easy enough, right?”

Starlight grumbled, face turned to the ground and Sunburst rubbed her cheek.

The rest of the ceremony went smoothly but the worry in Sunburst's eyes only increased as Starlight stayed silent as a clam, and when they left, she trotted then galloped to their suite, ending with a resounding door slam.

***

“Come on– come on Starlight. Don’t… don't do that. Nopony told me weddings were an… Olympic sport…”

After catching his breath, Sunburst knocked on the door to the shower in their suite, where Starlight had opted to barricade herself to cry in a fit of grief and shame. When she didn't reply, Sunburst sat down on the bed and closed his eyes, waiting her out.

“Starlight, you’ve been in there for half an hour,” he finally said, after checking the clock for the tenth time. “Please come out and talk to me.”

“Ugh, tonight was a nightmare!” Starlight’s voice came from the other side of the door. “We had everything planned out, but then there were dragon peppers, a small fire, a HUGE food fight and a totally botched rehearsal! This was supposed to be our time, and it’s ruined!”

“I know it didn’t go the way we wanted to, but it was just the rehearsal. We’ll have a perfect wedding tomorrow, and everything that happened tonight are things we’ll look back on and laugh at.”

There was silence on the other side of the door.

“You’re not going to let tonight ruin the wedding, are you?” Sunburst asked, a sweet tone in his voice.

A moment later the door opened and Starlight stepped out, her mane disheveled and her eyes red and puffy from crying. Sunburst opened his forelegs and Starlight stepped into his waiting embrace. He held her tight, rubbing her back to comfort her. “Come on, let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

“Sleep? Do I look like I want to sleep?” Starlight starting pacing. “At this point I've half a mind to run outside, hail down a cab and head for Manehattan, Ponyville, or wherever's farthest from here! Why do ponies go through this insane ritual that stresses everypony to the limit and costs a princess’ ransom?!”

Sunburst smiled in that wistful way that understanding husbands come to learn. “Because we're suckers for love.”

Starlight managed a small smile. “Something like that. Oh Sunburst, what will we do?”

Rather than answer, he walked to the nearby nightstand, opened a drawer and pulled out a box, wrapped in fancy paper and ribbon.

‘Here.” Sunburst held out the box to her. “All your answers are in here.”

Starlight snorted, snatching the box. “Now what…” She ripped at the paper and ribbon. “You can't solve everything with a gift, although I appreciate–”

She stopped short, her eyes widening in wonder, the smile returning. “No! But how could--it's so rare!”

Sunburst leaned back, arms behind him, triumph in his voice and smile. “Remember when I found Star Swirl’s lost journal? That place had a lot of other one-of-a-kind things, including the–”

“The Deluxe Master Build of Dragon Pit! Wait, is this the one that Dame Fortune herself made? The one with the sterling silver game pieces and the jeweled marbles and mother of pearl inlaid game board?”

“The very same.” Sunburst turned the ornately designed wooden game box around to reveal a symbol burnt into one side. “She signed it with her cutie mark.”

“Then this is worth a fortune!”

“Tell me about it. Took me two years and a few trades besides to pay it off, but the look on your face is worth it.”

Starlight paused, realizing the glee of the moment had entirely swept away the bitter memories of the day. “It is worth it, but because you thought enough of me to do that.”

“Still think marriage is nutty?”

“Absolutely. Now, there's a table in the closet, and there's a pony here who's going to beat you every way possible!”

Sunburst laughed as he headed for the closet. “You're welcome to try. Prepare for your dragon to face the wrath of the pit!”

Now her laughter mingled with his as the game took all their interest. When they were done and the lights went out, the happy couple lay content, Starlight cradling her prize, and Sunburst his.