Won't Let it Bring Me Down

Won't Let it Bring Me Down

By: Crystal Heart

Chapter 8: Family and Feuds

        The date was set. Everything was ready for Dash and Hoops' wedding. The two were to be wed on a glorious evening outside the Canterlot Castle, on a remote beach, at the outskirts of Equestrian Boundries.

        Rainbow Dash though, really wasn't in the best mood for this. Why did she have to get married to such a jerk? He had been nothing but selfish, and rotten to her in all their years of knowing one another.

        Of course, she knew she couldn't do anything about it, her endless pleading hadn't mended a dent in the original plan. She and Hoops were going to get married... whether she liked it or not.

There was a soft patter on the door to her room, as Dash turned around, and opened it wide.

Hoops was standing there with a small frown on his face.

"Hoops? What are you doing here?" Dash asked him with a confused look. Hoops glanced up at the cyan mare, and shrugged.

"I wanted to talk to you, Rainbow Cr- I mean... Dash..." he said slowly, stammering to fix his mistake. Dash raised an eyebrow, before gesturing him to follow her inside. "Thanks."

"Yeah, yeah. What do you want?" she asked, sitting on her bed, and patting the spot next to her with a slight glare at the ceiling. Hoops quickly accepted her offer to sit down, and quickly looked at her.

"I'd like to say I'm sorry," he started off strongly.

"What the he-"

"I've seen how you've been acting over the past few days, and I'd like to make it up to you."

"And how the hell are you go-"

"By being nice to you from now on!"

"Yeah ri-"

"Maybe even go on a few dates,"

"Hell n-"

"Maybe get a little spicy..."

"What are you imply-"

"Look, what I'm trying to say is, I don't want an unhappy marriage."

"What?"

"You seem so down in the dumps lately... and I honestly don't want a wife who mopes around all the time. It wouldn't be the most pleasing experience."

"Oh? So you're doing all of this for yourself?"

"What?"

"God dammit Hoops. You're so freaking selfish," Dash said, getting up, and leading him to the door to her room once again. Hoops frowned.

"What? Where did any of that come from?" he asked her. Dash rolled her eyes.

"Ponies like you will never learn. How much ever you try with them."

Rainbow Dash thought back to the night when she and Soarin slept in her attic.

The next morning, she had invited him to the wedding with a painful smile. At least she could look forward to one thing at the ceremony; seeing him.

Her parents, of course hadn't been all for the idea. It would make her heartbroken while she exchanged vows, wouldn't it? That's what they thought, at least.

"Are you ready, honey?" a voice called from outside her door. Dash got up from her seat, and went to open it, coming face to face with her mother.

"Hey, Mom. What's up?" she asked casually. Firefly scanned her daughter with wide eyes, gasping.

"You haven't even started to get ready yet! And the ceremony's in just a few hours!" she exclaimed. Dash shrugged.

"What do I have to do that'll take time? I just need to slip on that dress Rarity made for me..." she said. Firefly shook her head, sighing, and rolling her eyes.

"Thank goodness I came in when I did! Imagine if I had come right before your father was to escort you down the aisle? That would have been an absolute nightmare!" she said dramatically. Dash bit her lip, and shrugged.

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing..." she mumbled under her breath. Firefly's ears perked up.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Firefly raised her eyebrows at her daughter, before trotting to the closet by her. "Where did you keep the dress?"

"It should be somewhere in there..."  Dash said, before she saw her mother emerge with a simple while dress with gold and rainbow trimming at the edges. Rarity knew exactly what Dash liked. Something simple, and not too over-the-top, "drop dead fabulous."

Firefly gave Dash the dress, who simply groaned, and heading inside the bathroom to put it on.

She walked out a few seconds later, the dress handing from her body. It had a snug fit, curving around her masculine figure in a smooth, sleek fashion. The trimming added highlights to her own mane, and the shine off the skirt glistened as she walked towards her mother. Firefly couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her coming her way.

She gasped, putting a hoof over her daughter's clothing, running it down smoothly. Her eyes widened, as she looked at the younger mare in wonder.

"My my... you look possibly even better than how I looked on my own wedding day! And that's saying something, considering how awesome I looked!" she exclaimed, as Dash rolled her eyes. Firefly then started to tear up, placing a hoof on her daughter's cheeks. "Oh, Dash... I'm so proud of you! After all these years of waiting, the big day has finally arrived! How do you feel? Nervous, excited? Maybe a mixture of both? You must be so looking forward to when you're finally wed with the stallion of your dreams!"

"Yeah... sure... the stallion of my dreams..." Dash mumbled. Firefly heard her, but decided to ignore it. There was nothing she could really do about her situation with Soarin.

There was only one possible way that the arranged marriage could be broken. If Hoops gave up his bride.

But there was absolutely no chance at that happening. Firefly knew it. She had seen how Hoops had interacted with everypony he had encountered in front of her. He wanted to be the winner here. Dash was like his prize... he didn't want to give her up. Not even at the cost of her own happiness. Firefly knew this.

She sighed, as she gestured Dash over to the nearby table, which had many cartons of makeup from her own house. Dash scoffed, as she looked upon the different colored blushes, and shadows. Even a few lipsticks.

"Disgusting. You don't expect me to actually wear this stuff, do you?" she asked her mother with a frown. Firefly heaved out a long, heavy sigh.

There were only a few hours left till the wedding. A few long... painful hours...