"Alright, how about we post Bravo Team on the west side of the castle, and Delta Team to the east side?" Spitfire asked, pointing at the map spread out before them.
Rainbow Dash stared at it for a few seconds before nodding. "Sounds good. Then Alpha Team can still do the airshow."
Spitfire smirked. "You know, we can find a substitute for you, Crash. It's your wedding— pretty sure you're supposed to be walking down the aisle and crying and stuff, not performing."
"And miss out on a chance to show everyone how awesome I am?" Rainbow scoffed. "No way."
"Can't blame you for trying to skip out on the boring parts, I guess." Spitfire rolled up the maps and placed them back in her saddlebags. "Well, that's it for now, then."
"Cool," Rainbow could barely hold in her excitement as she started moving towards the exit from the Wonderbolts Headquarters. "I'll see you next week for practice."
"Actually, we were just heading out to grab some drinks. You want in?" Spitfire asked.
Rainbow shook her head. "Nah, gotta be back at the Castle to help Rarity and Twi with the wedding invitations. I'll catch ya next time."
"Still can't believe you of all ponies got yourself shackled to the ol' ball and chain." Despite her derisive tone, Spitfire still smiled at her. "Then again, can't exactly blame you. I'd almost give up my wings to be with the two hottest mares in Equestria."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You're gonna fall in love one day, Spits, and it's gonna be hilarious."
"Don't think so." Spitfire flared out her wings. "Nopony's gonna tie this flyer down."
"Heh." Rainbow chuckled. "Good luck with that, ma'am." She snapped off a salute. "May I be excused, then?"
Spitfire nodded. "Go have fun with your fiancées, Crash."
With that dismissal, Rainbow took off, zipping out the door and beelining for the exit. She soared into the sky, basking in the feel of the thermals beneath her wings.
Once upon a time, she would have been content to enjoy the skies forever. All she needed to be happy was the freedom to fly where she wished, to dance in the air and let the wind pull uselessly against her body. It had been the ultimate euphoria.
But now, she had two ponies to fly towards, and the thought of losing even one second of their company spurred her forwards as she cut through the air as fast as she could, making a beeline for the castle. Her only pause was a brief stop at the perimeter to show the guards her identification so she could pass into the restricted airspace.
The balcony of the Royal Bedchambers had some kind of spell around it to stop ponies from getting too close, but Twilight had made sure to make Rainbow an exception to it. As such, Rainbow didn't even notice when she passed through the shield and dropped down past the railings. Bleeding off the rest of her speed, she skidded to a halt right in front of the balcony doors, barely avoiding crashing into them.
When she opened the door, she found Rarity and Twilight already sitting by the fireplace, sorting out a stack of cards. "Hey Rainbow," Twilight said, waving. "How did the meeting with Spitfire go?"
Rainbow shrugged. "Eh, we had to shuffle some of the teams around, but we've got aerial security covered for the wedding and my team'll still be able to do the airshow."
"I cannot believe that you actually, truly intend to perform at your own wedding." Rarity stood up and trotted over towards her.
"Admit it, you're just jealous you couldn't think of something that awesome for our wedding." With practiced ease, she swept Rarity up in her forelegs, pulling her into the air and pressing a kiss against her lips.
"I will admit no such thing." Despite her pout, Rarity's eyes still smiled at her.
A rush of wind signalled Twilight joining them as she flew over, and not for the first time Rainbow Dash was thankful that Celestia had made the Royal Bedroom so big. Wrapping them around her increasingly-large wings, the princess pulled her two lovers close into a tight hug. "Only you two would try to find some way to make a Royal Wedding even more of a spectacle."
"As if you're not having a blast researching those old marriage rituals." Rainbow took a moment to kiss her other fiancée as she teased her.
Twilight melted into the kiss, letting out a contented sigh. "I guess we're all getting what we want out of this," she said.
"Damn straight," Rainbow replied as the three of them settled back down to the ground, still holding on to one another. None of them wanted to let go, to break the physical connection between them, and so they simply stayed as one for a few wonderful moments.
And as Rainbow stared into the eyes of her brides-to-be, she realized that Spitfire didn't understand love at all. True love wasn't a ball and chain shackled to one's ankles— completely the opposite, in fact.
Love was freedom.
Rainbow had thought she'd understood the meaning of those two concepts before. After all, every pegasus knew the joys of being able to fly wherever they wanted to, to escape from their troubles and into the clouds, far away from anypony else that could tell them what to do. Just like Spitfire, Rainbow Dash had assumed that love meant chaining yourself to somepony and letting them dictate your life.
But then, she'd fallen for the two most awesome mares in Equestria, and the last thing they had wanted to do was tie her to the ground.
What did it matter if you could fly wherever you wanted when there was no place you truly belonged? True freedom, Rainbow now understood, was having the choice to be with the ones you loved, who would accept you for who you were and enable you to soar beyond the stars themselves, to achieve new heights and break through new limitations that you weren't even aware had existed.
After they had drunk their fill of each other's gazes, Rarity cleared her throat. "Well, now that pleasantries are out of the way, shall we begin in earnest?" She extricated herself from the hug and made her way back to the desks. "Twilight and I took the liberty of dividing the invitations up already."
Still looking a little dazed, Twilight quickly shook her head to clear it before adding in, "Right, yes. I'll have to write the invitation to all the various heads of state and other political figures, since I'm the High Princess, and Rarity can do the invitations for powerful ponies in Equestria since she's good at that kind of networking language."
Rainbow nodded. "Sounds cool. What about me?"
"You, my dear, have the most important task." Rarity's horn glowed as she floated over one of the stacks of cards. "These are the invitations for the guests from Ponyville. You write from the heart, without any filter, and they are an audience who will appreciate that."
Of course, her lovers also found ways to let Rainbow shine, to give her the chance to speak from her heart without fear, while still helping out. That was something else Rainbow had learned. Love created opportunities, and what was freedom without the opportunities to take advantage of it?
Rainbow grinned at Rarity and Twilight as she took the stack of papers. "Awesome! Let's get going, then!"
Rarity looked forward to the day she could stop taking commissions.
Granted, her current situation was far, far better than the early days, when she did not have the luxury of being selective with the work she could take on. Unless a client was unlikely to pay, Rarity would have little choice but to accept the work in order to keep Carousel Boutique afloat, and deal with their inane, unfashionable conditions and meddling.
Now, with the Carousel brand having a presence in every major city in Equestria, there was no reason for Rarity to design a specific dress for a client just for the money. However, the right celebrity or public figure wearing one of her creations was still a good boost for her business, and so, when certain individuals came to her asking for an ensemble, and Rarity knew she could hold onto her creative freedom, she would oblige them.
Still, some clients were easier to work with than others.
"Ah, c'est magnifique!" Fleur De Lis exclaimed as she spun gracefully around in the fitting room, taking in the sight of herself clad in Rarity's latest masterpiece from all angles. "You have outdone yourself once again, Mademoiselle Rarity."
The consummate socialite was a dream to work with, in addition to being one of Rarity's oldest friends in Canterlot. Her slender body made for a wonderful frame to display the more diaphanous and sweeping numbers that spun around in Rarity's imagination, and her soft palette served as a wonderful canvas for a variety of colours that Rarity had enjoyed experimenting with over the years.
But more than her physical appearance was her kind and generous nature, a moral core of steel beneath her ruthlessness. In a world of sharks, Fleur could swim and fight with the best of them, but she fought for a better world, used her connections to host grand charity galas and lobby for legislation that helped everypony, not just the elite.
And it was this inner beauty that Rarity sought to bring out with her design. The billowing layers of pale fabric projected an aura of lightness and ephemerality, while the yellow and red accents hinted at the idea of flames, making Fleur look like an angel ready to defend the defenseless with all the grace and elegance she was capable of.
"It is exactly as I dreamed it would be," Fleur gushed. "Merci beaucoup, mon amie."
"I could not have done it without you, Fleur," Rarity replied sincerely. Creating a dress was a collaborative process, and Rarity valued allowing her clients to provide input and ideas on the styles they desired.
And Fleur was both accommodating and creative, in addition to having her own flair for the dramatic.
"Marchons, marchons! Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons!" Fleur struck a pose as she sung, before giggling to herself and beginning to undo the straps holding up her dress. "Let me remove this now lest I damage it before the grand event."
"Of course." Rarity helped her doff the dress, carefully undoing the various bindings that kept it on her body. "I daresay you shall steal the show and be the center of attention with this."
Fleur waved a hoof dismissively. "Oh, nonsense, Rarity. All eyes will be on you and your fiancées." She smiled. "A Wonderbolt, the High Princess of Equestria, and the great Rarity herself. How could the crowd wish to look elsewhere?"
Rarity tittered. "It is quite exciting, I must admit. I'm glad you'll be there for the wedding."
"With such a lovely dress to wear, how could I not?" Fleur teased before her expression grew more serious. "Truly, I am honoured to be invited, mon amie."
"And I am honoured to have such a good friend," Rarity replied, giving her a quick hug before she carefully placed the dress back into its protective sleeve. "Will you be taking this home now?" she asked.
"Oui." The dress floated up in Fleur's magic. "Thank you once again, Rarity. And my congratulations once again on finding love. It truly is the most beautiful thing in the world."
They exchanged their goodbyes, and soon enough, Fleur took her leave, and Rarity quickly tidied up her store as she waited for her next two clients. Her heart fluttered at the thought of them even as she sighed dramatically and draped herself over the couch.
Not everypony was so easy to work with as Fleur, unfortunately.
The chimes on the door sounded, and Rarity smiled as her beloved paramours stepped into Canterlot Carousel. "Hello, my darlings," she said, standing up and trotting over to press quick kisses against Twilight and Rainbow's cheeks. "You're early."
"I rerouted the path for our morning flight so that we'd end here," Twilight replied.
"We figured you'd need the extra time," Rainbow added with a smirk.
Rarity rolled her eyes. "How considerate of you. Come on, now, I have the first versions of the dresses ready for you to try."
"Great!" Twilight beamed as she followed Rarity, with Rainbow trailing close behind her. Despite her frown, Rarity could also sense her excitement as well— the mare liked to look good, and Rarity was the best at making a pony look their best.
"Et voila!" Rarity pulled away the curtain in her office as Twilight and Rainbow stepped inside.
"Wow." It never failed to make her heart soar when she could make Rainbow's jaw drop with her art. "That's... wow."
"Despite the... unique aerodynamic challenges presented, I was able to bring our vision to life," Rarity explained. "As terrifying as the process may have been."
"Hey, you were the one who wanted to see what each kind of fabric felt like at mach one." Rainbow's cocky grin grew wider as she slipped on the dress. "And I know you loved it by the end. Or do you want me to stop taking you up for a free fall?"
"I will admit, it was quite exhilarating once the terror subsided." Rarity used her magic to adjust the final straps locking the ensemble into place.
Rainbow Dash's wedding dress was sleek, a narrow number made entirely from aerodynamic fabrics that had required Twilight to perform fluid dynamic calculations in order to optimize. Somehow, Rarity had still managed to evoke the idea of a flowing, lacy, traditional wedding dress, in a design that she was reasonably sure had come to her in a fever dream after weeks of artist's block.
"Wow, I look good." And of course, Rainbow was ever the laconic one in delivering her assessment. "Okay, time to test this baby out!"
Before Rarity could admonish her, the passionate pegasus bolted out the window, becoming a polychromatic blur in the skies as she traced out complex patterns in the air. "Well, I never!" Rarity exclaimed, shaking her head.
Next to her, Twilight wore an amused grin as the two of them watched their beloved stress test her wedding dress. "She really does look good in that," she said. "I love how the fabric makes her shimmer when she's in motion."
"She wears it quite well." That was the secret to Rarity's success. She understood the secret to making a pony truly beautiful. It wasn't about their body shape or the color of their mane or proportions of their facial features— those were the things only an amateur looked at. While Rarity took those factors into account when deciding which types of styles might work best, she knew that a pony was at their best when they were allowed to shine, to express their passions for all to see.
After all, Twilight was never more attractive that when she threw her entire self into solving a problem with calculated intensity, and Dash was most desirable when her confidence in her flying abilities shone through her demeanour. And it came down to one thing, one life-altering revelation that Rarity had experienced long ago:
Love made a pony beautiful.
Rarity had realized long ago that her purpose was to create the clothing which allowed ponies to embody what was most important to them. In this case, it was designing an aerodynamic dress that embodied Rainbow's love of the skies, while still making it a wedding dress and thus projecting the athlete's love for Rarity and Twilight.
And now, seeing the dress in motion, Rarity knew she had succeeded.
"I can't wait to try my own dress on," Twilight said, excited curiosity brimming in her voice. "It looks like you really did manage to recreate the style of wedding dresses from the Diurnal Era."
"Your notes were of utmost importance in my creative process," Rarity replied, warming at Twilight's praise. How wonderful and strange that she had found two souls so different from herself, but who could still appreciate the passion and craft that went into her trade. Truly, Harmony was a force with a sense of humour.
"I was a little worried that Needle Eye's descriptions of the Everfree Dress wouldn't be detailed enough, but you translated the intent really well." Twilight beamed. "I'm so lucky that I get to marry someone who can make my dream wedding dress!"
"And I am fortunate to have such a lovely vision to create from." Rarity leaned over to press a kiss against Twilight's lips, and in that moment, it didn't matter how much blood, sweat, and tears she had poured into these dresses, how many revisions of the designs had been required and how many "requests" had been made — it was all worth it to see her brides-to-be smiling.
Love bloomed in Rarity's heart, and it was the most beautiful feeling in the world.
Twilight Sparkle's life was one of extraordinary change.
Since the day she'd received her cutie mark, Twilight Sparkle had been a scholar of magic, a student of friendship, a princess, a teacher, and then the ruler of Equestria herself. And now, she was on the cusp of the greatest change of her life.
Assuming the wedding actually happened.
"The Minotaur King is demanding a seat closer to the ceremonies," Raven Inkwell said, reading from her clipboard. "He's not happy about being farther away than the Duke of Maretonia."
Twilight sighed. "He's just posturing to try to look strong. Have the diplomatic team pen a letter telling him that the seating arrangements have already been finalized and that we can't make any changes to it now."
"Very good, Your Majesty." A quick note was jotted down on the clipboard before Raven continued. "The final item on the list is the report that the legal scholars have finished their report on the historian's report on the marriage laws for royalty."
"Send it to my room," Twilight instructed. "I'll look over it tonight. Is that everything?"
Raven nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Great. If you need me, I'll be working on my notes for the talk at Canterlot University next week." Looking back, she probably shouldn't have committed to speaking about the magic of friendship in the critical weeks leading up to her own wedding, but hindsight was twenty-twenty. It would be fine; she'd been through worse.
Though "worse" generally involved Equestria almost being destroyed.
Not wanting to waste a single minute of productivity, she teleported into her office and immediately began collating her previous notes to determine what could be reused. Time ceased to have any meaning as she dove into her work, trusting her staff to inform her when her next appointment was coming up.
Soon enough, the blackboard she always kept nearby was filled up with diagrams and equations, as she tried to find the minimum set of theorems needed to present her conclusions in this talk. Some days, in the quiet moments between crises, Twilight wondered if this would have been her destiny in another life. Certainly, as a student of Celestia studying magic, it had seemed the obvious trajectory for her career.
Of course, Celestia had her own plans, and now Twilight sat on the throne of her former idol. Funny how life worked out sometimes, she supposed.
Lost in her thoughts and mathematics, Twilight didn't even notice the door open until she heard one of her darling fiancées clearing her throat. She looked up and grinned widely as she saw both her lovers looking at her. "Rarity! Rainbow!" With a flash of magic, she blinked across the room to wrap both of them up in a tight hug. "I'm so happy to see you two!"
"The feeling is entirely mutual, darling," Rarity replied, hugging her back and pressing a kiss against her lips.
Meanwhile, Rainbow wrapped her wings around her. "We figured you might want a break from your princessing."
Twilight considered the offer. She had been legitimately enjoying working on her lecture notes, but she had to admit that her mind was starting to drift a little, and some rest would help optimize her efficiency. It was a logical choice to take a break, yes.
The fact that she currently had the two most important mares in her life pressed against her had no bearing on that evaluation. Of course not. Twilight was a mare of science, not so easily swayed by—
Rarity kissed her again, and Twilight gave up on her pretences.
The smirk on Rarity's muzzle when she pulled back indicated that she knew Twilight's answer already. "I arranged to have the kitchens send up samples of the desserts they are considering serving at the wedding. Rainbow and I thought that you might want to have a tasting session to determine which dishes they should continue to refine."
Every day, Twilight found new reasons to fall in love with her fiancées all over again. "I'm the luckiest mare in the world," she told them, warmth filling her heart.
"We can burn off the calories after too," Rainbow said. "Get some flight practice in before you have to draft more laws or whatever."
"I'd love that. It's been hard fitting exercise into my schedule with the wedding coming up" So many hats that Twilight wore these days. Ruler, friend, scientist, teacher, marefriend. Each one of those roles had sub-roles that broke down into even more responsibilities, and it took all of Twilight's impeccable time-management skills to stay afloat.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
"Please inform me if your dress size changes," Rarity said. "I will need time to make the alterations."
"Sure," Twilight replied. "I have some errata for the dress anyways that I'll write up this weekend." She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."
Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. "It's quite alright, darling. I was expecting something of the sort to happen eventually. After all, the arts and the sciences are both games of revision, no?"
"Mhm." It was a miracle that Twilight had found ponies who understood who she was beneath all the different faces she had to wear. Celestia had taught her to be true to herself, but sometimes it was so hard to remember who she was when she was pulled in every direction.
But now, she had something to anchor herself with, to remind herself of why she kept going even in the darkest hour. A central principle to hold on to.
Love was the ultimate truth of the self.
Ever since she'd moved to Ponyville, Twilight had learned to trust her heart. And so, even despite all the worries for the future, she knew would marry these two amazing mares, and the three of them would share a love that endured until the end of time.
There was a knock at the door.
"Ooh, dessert time!" Quick as a whistle, Rainbow zipped across the room to let the visitor in.
Twilight and Rarity smiled as they watched her go. "A mare after my own heart," Rarity commented dryly. "As much as I try to show restraint."
"Restraint can be overrated sometimes," Twilight replied, a wry smile on her face. "Let's go stuff our faces and then you can gossip about whatever's been happening in the castle."
Perhaps things might have been different in another life. But seeing Rarity's eyes light up at that suggestion was all the truth that Twilight needed to know that she had followed the right path, alongside the right ponies.
And right now, despite all the twists that lay behind and beyond, and all the uncertainties that awaited her, Twilight's path was defined by a simple truth: she loved Rarity and Rainbow Dash, and they loved her in return.
Oh, and also that whatever the kitchens had cooked up would be absolutely scrumptious.
She couldn't help it! Even if it was cliché, how could she not adore a ceremony devoted to ponies declaring their undying love for one another? Honestly, ponies needed to stop thinking that she had some grand secret insight on the nature of love that meant that she preferred funerals or birthday parties or something.
No, Cadance was in her element in a wedding, especially when officiating one between three of her good friends.
Twilight was positively glowing as she stood by the altar, waiting for the other brides to make their entrances. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that the High Princess standing before her was the same precocious little filly that Cadance had once foalsat and played children's games with.
"I forgot to double-check the wards around the city. What if I didn't calibrate one of them properly and an invading army manages to sneak through?"
And other times it was painfully obvious that Twilight was still Twilight after all these years, and that she was still a neurotic little thing despite her happiness at the occasion.
Cadance smiled. "Shining himself made sure that security was airtight. You know your BBBFF would never let you down."
That seemed to calm Twilight, at least for now. She took a deep breath, held it for several seconds, and then exhaled, just like Cadance had taught her all those years ago. "Right, I'm worrying over nothing. This ceremony is going to go perfectly fine! Perfectly fine!"
It was hard not to laugh, but Cadance persevered. "Remember, it's not about the wedding, it's about the marriage. Even if everything does go wrong, what matters is that you love Rarity and Rainbow Dash."
"Right." Twilight nodded. "Just like in physics, there aren't any absolutes when it comes to emotions, but love serves as a fixed reference frame to anchor on. It's the ground truth of the heart."
"Well said," Cadance replied approvingly. "You've taken to the study of love so well. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering how good of a student you are, huh?"
A blush tinted Twilight's cheek. "I've had some great learning opportunities."
"So you have." Dropping the banter for a moment, Cadance allowed the full force of her sincerity to shine through in her next statement. "I'm so happy for you, Twilight. You deserve the best, and the two incredible mares you're marrying today definitely fit the bill."
"Thank you." There were already tears in Twilight's eyes, and the ceremony hadn't even started. Cadance was good at this.
Just then, the first notes of the wedding march began to play, and the two of them turned to see Rarity entering the pavilion, trailed by her procession. She looked beautiful as well, not that Cadance had any doubt that she wouldn't. Rarity understood the core of what made a pony shine, and knew how to bring out the passion of every pony who wore one of her ensembles.
And her own dress spoke volumes of the love she felt for her beloveds. Cadance could see the care and attention put into every detail, to create a wedding dress that was as elegant as the mare who was wearing it.
The lace trimmings displayed a pattern that wove together the cutie marks of the three ponies to be bonded in matrimony today. Everypony— Cadance included— who knew of the process of lace working knew how much effort and skill that required. It was hard to tell if Twilight noticed, given how her jaw had already dropped at the sight of her wife-to-be, but given how observant she was, Cadance had no doubt that she would note it eventually.
Rarity was making a statement in her dress, wearing her heart on her sleeve, as it were. Cadance could respect that.
Finally, Rarity reached them and smiled at Twilight. Cadance couldn't hear what they whispered to one another over the music, but the look of pure love they shared was all the information she needed.
When the last notes of the march faded, Cadance cleared her throat. "Today, we are gathered here to celebrate the love of three of Equestria's most remarkable mares."
There was a wave of confused murmurs as the crowd looked at them and only saw two ponies at the altar. Cadance kept her smile aloof and mysterious as she continued to speak. "Love is a wonderful and multifaceted virtue, and part of what makes it so extraordinary is how different and unique it is for everyone." She looked at Twilight, who could barely contain her excitement as her eyes were fixed on Rarity.
"For some, it is the unchanging truth that they hold on to, that guides them when all else is lost." Cadance gaze shifted to Rarity, who was absolutely basking in the admiration of the crowd. "For others, it is the way they show their true beauty to the world."
This had all been rehearsed, and as Cadance said those words, the music started up again, a grandiose fanfare that was coupled with an explosion of fireworks. The crowd gasped as, from behind the stage, a team of Wonderbolt flew into the sky, performing their death-defying tricks and spinning around the leader of the team, who was wearing a most unique wedding dress.
Rainbow Dash flew ahead of her team, pulling off a tight aileron roll before turning sharply towards the altar at reckless speed.
Cadance grinned. "And finally, love can be the ultimate freedom that allows someone to live out their wildest dreams."
The prismatic blur sped down the aisle, whipping up a cloud of leaves and dust in its wake, before stopping in the narrow space between Rarity and Twilight. Rainbow Dash flashed the crowd a cocky grin before turning her attention to Cadance, who took the entire spectacle in stride. Compared to her own wedding, this was nothing.
"You three have overcome so many challenges in your lives," Cadance said. "Your journey began with a world-saving adventure, and it's only gotten harder since then. Throughout it all, you have worked together and strengthened your bond to triumph time and time again, and now, the time has come for you to begin a new journey together."
The rest of the ceremony proceeded as usual, with the three brides speaking their vows before Spike brought the rings up for Cadance to distribute. Twilight placed hers on Rarity, who in turn placed hers on Rainbow, and then finally Rainbow completed the circle and it was time for Cadance's favourite part of the wedding.
"By the power invested in me as the Princess of Love, I now pronounce you bound in matrimony!" Cadance's grin widened. "You may now kiss."
The three ponies immediately embraced one another, with Rainbow pressing a passionate kiss against Twilight's lips before shifting her attention to Rarity while the audience cheered for them. And then, when it was Rarity and Twilight's turn to kiss, the pegasus broke away and shot into the air, leaving behind a rainbow contrail.
Cadance watched as Rainbow built up speed, flying higher and higher until an explosion of rainbow light echoed through the pavilion. This time, Rainbow had shaped her Sonic Rainboom to produce a heart-shaped pulse of rainbow energy, and the crowd roared with applause at the display of skill and technique.
The light faded just as Rarity and Twilight broke away from the kiss, and the two remaining brides watched as their beloved wife joined back up with her squadron to complete the rest of the airshow.
And as Cadance looked upon these three mares who were so different and yet were bound together by the greatest force of all, she knew that Equestria had a bright future ahead of itself.
