“Alright dear. Just a few more adjustments,” Rarity spoke, her words muffled through the pins in her mouth.
Sunset stood as still as she could, a large smile drawn across her face. She glanced down at Rarity, watching as she straightened out any creases in her pants and trimmed off any stray pieces of thread. It’s finally happening.
“Sunset, please stay still.”
How can I!? Sunset screamed in her mind. A few months ago, this day seemed a million miles away. Then the months turned into weeks. And the weeks into days. And now here Sunset stood, waiting for Rarity to finish the finishing touches on her outfit. The many sleepless nights spent planning until dawn. The near countless people that they met to get this event to happen. It’s all going to be worth it.
Because today was Sunset’s wedding day.
The very thought of those few words sent Sunset’s heart racing a million miles. She clenched her fists to attempt to squeeze out some of the excitement. Or nervousness. Honestly she wasn’t sure anymore. All of the feelings going through her swirled and stirred in her heart, creating a cocktail of emotions she couldn’t understand. And for once, she was okay with that.
She attempted to calm herself down by darting her eyes around her dressing room. All it contained was a closet, a makeup table and a spot for her to get dressed. Even though Rarity called this room simple, Sunset found no problems with it. It contained exactly what she needed and not one piece more.
“Ow!” Sunset yelped, darting her eyes down to Rarity.
“Sorry. I might have poked a little too deep.”
“It’s alright, Rarity.” Sunset smiled. “You didn’t have to do this.”
Rarity gave an audible gasp. “And let you be less than perfect when you walk out on the aisle? When all those guests lay their eyes on you? When Twilight sees you? I think not!”
Sunset chuckled. “Well, you have a point there. Are you done?”
“Yes, quite so! Give me just a moment.” Rarity laid her tools back down into her box and sped off, returning with a full-body mirror a few moments later.
Sunset glanced upwards and, for a moment, she didn’t know who the stranger staring back at her was. She was dressed neatly in a black suit. The jacket was free of any creases or blemishes, its lines flowing neatly down Sunset’s form. While three shining gold button pinned it closed just above her belt. Underneath sat a simple white shirt, but its simplicity only made the rest of the suit look even sharper. She raised and lowered her arms and found that the suit didn’t restrict a single bit of movement in her body. Instead, it flowed effortlessly with every bend and turn. The finishing touch was a small teal trim at the front parting of the jacket. It was obvious that every cut and stitch had been tailored to her. And her alone.
Even after all that, there was one thing that truly caught Sunset’s eye: her hair. Most of her fiery locks had been tied up into a short ponytail. Two short strands flowed down either side of her face, reaching just down her cheek, much like the frame to a beautiful painting. The rest of her hair rose and fell atop her head in what was seemingly chaos, yet in a fashion so controlled and meaningful, Sunset couldn’t find a word to describe it.
“So? Would you say you’re ready?” Rarity asked with a grin,
Sunset snapped out of her daze and closed her hanging jaw. She wondered how long she had been staring at her reflection with her mouth wide open and that thought quickly sent a red hot blush radiating through her cheeks. “Rarity, this is…”
“Oh it was nothing,” Rarity flicked her hand downwards as she spoke. “Now then, I’ll have to get the bride ready as well!”
Sunset watched as Rarity sped over, picking up all her items and placing them into her makeup box. Once she was ready, she waved Sunset goodbye and exited the room. She was prepared to sit when the door opened once more and Rainbow and Applejack stepped in.
“Hey Sunset. We’re here to—” Rainbow found that her words had vanished from her mind as soon as she laid eyes on Sunset. She froze with one hand on the doorknob, mouth slightly agape.
“Well I’ll be. I knew Rarity could would do a good job.” Applejack took a step in in a suit of her own. She wrapped her arms around Sunset, pulling her into a soft hug. “But not this good.”
“Nice to see you too, AJ. Ready to be my best girls?”
“I sure am.” Applejack gave a confident nod. “Though I’m not sure about Dash over there.” She gestured to Rainbow, who was still standing at the door.
Sunset stepped forward, snapping her fingers to draw Rainbow out of her gaze.
“Whoa. Sorry. Sunset, you look… you look awesome.”
“Like most other things you declare awesome?”
“No. This is, like, super awesome.”
Sunset giggled, taking a seat.
“Betcha can’t wait to go out there, huh? Must’ve been thinking about this day for a long time now.”
“I have.” Sunset glanced out the nearby window, watching the party unfold in the gardens. She spotted Pinkie rushing around from table to table, delivering treats and serving food with a bright smile on her face. “A lot.”
Her smile vanished for a moment. What if…
“What’s wrong?” Applejack asked, taking a seat beside her. “Aren’t ya happy?”
“O-of course!” Sunset grinned, but it vanished just as quickly as it came. “But I know how perfect Twilight wants this day to be. She would stay up every night, checking each checklist, every plan, every detail. What if something goes wrong?” She gave a worried look to her friends. “What if I make a mistake?”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Rainbow’s right. We’re here to make sure ain’t nothing’s gonna go wrong today. You let Rarity, Pinkie and the rest of us handle everything else. All you gotta worry about is getting up on that aisle and keeping that jaw of yours off the floor when you see Twilight.” Applejack smiled from ear to ear.
“Wait, you two saw Twilight!?” Sunset shot from her seat, feeling her heart flutter at the mere thought of her. “How does she look? Is she okay? What about—”
“Hey, slow down! Twilight’s doing great and she looks—”
“Well, we’ll keep it a surprise,” Applejack interrupted, drawing an irritated glare from Rainbow.
“Come on, at least a little hint?”
Applejack glanced at the clock and pushed herself onto her feet. “Don’t need to, you’ll see her soon enough. Time for us to do some final prep and get you ready.”
What!? Sunset took a quick look at the clock as well, and sure enough, she was scheduled to go on in about a half hour. Her heart started to beat so fiercely she was sure it would go through her chest. Her mind melted into a scrambled mess while her limbs trembled at the thought. “W-wait, how did time—”
“Come on, Sunset! You’ve been waiting for this day for months!”
Sunset followed her friends nervously out of the room. It was true what they had said.
Though if given the choice, she wouldn’t object to waiting just one more hour...
Sunset stood on the other side of the garden doors. She shuffled her feet nervously on the carpet and rubbed her hands over one another repeatedly.
“Dear friends and family. Today, we’re gathered to wed two people who have fallen in love.”
She placed her face softly in her hands, blowing as hard as she could into them. No turning back.
“Will the… umm, groom? Come out please.”
Sunset took a deep gasp of air, as though she were about to dive in the ocean, and pushed the doors open. She strode out into the garden, watching as every single pair of eyes turned to stare at her. Her eyes locked onto the beautiful podium that awaited her at the end of the aisle. The archway had been decorated with several beautiful lilies, Twilight’s favorite flower, while all around the seats bloomed fauna of all types, painting the area with a stunning rainbow of color. The morning sun hung above, bathing the area in a soft glow.
Upon reaching the podium, Sunset stood in front of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were both giving her a gesture of approval.
“And now,” the man dressed in a tuxedo spoke once more, “well, we can’t have a wedding without a bride.” Sunset felt her heart catch in her throat. Her mind raced to imagine just how beautiful Twilight might look. What would she be wearing? What would she even look like? There were so many questions racing through her mind regarding her soon-to-be wife and they were all about to be answered in the next few seconds. “So… may the bride please step out.”
The doors to the garden swung upon once again.
Okay Sunset. On the count of three. One… two… thr— Sunset spun around.
And the sight of the love of her life struck her with silent awe.
Twilight stepped out in a gown unlike any Sunset had ever seen before. The very silk it was woven from seemed to glow under the morning sun, but it didn’t blind the eyes staring at her. Instead, it shimmered softly like the moonlight in a still pond. Every step Twilight took was accompanied with a wave from the dress, flowing gracefully with the slightest hint of movement. Even the crowd had gone silent. There wasn’t a murmur or a whisper to be heard as all eyes were locked squarely onto the girl walking down the aisle. Sunset looked up to Twilight’s hair and it was a sight that caused tears to form at the edges of her eyes. Her hair, courtesy of Rarity, fell across her shoulders in delicate curls. While two small, white lilies were nestled softly in her fringe. It made her look, as Rarity would put it, absolutely gorgeous.
As Twilight strolled down the carpet, Sunset could see the faint smile of her face. One that conveyed both nervousness, but most importantly, unbridled joy. Sunset could see Twilight tightening the grip on the bouquet of red and orange roses in her hands as she got closer to the podium.
Don’t kill the flowers now, Twi. Sunset wiped away the tears that were flowing down her face. Yet, even though she knew what emotion she was overwhelmed with, finding a word to describe it for impossible. In this moment, Sunset’s usually immense vocabulary failed her. Happy would not suffice. Neither would joy or elation. As far as she knew, the word hadn’t been invented yet.
So she settled on the word that was the closest.
She was in bliss.
As Twilight stepped up to join her, accompanied by Fluttershy and Rarity, Sunset finally spoke in stutters. “Y-you look beautiful, Twi.”
“You don’t look half-bad yourself.” Twilight winked.
All attention turned back to the wedding officiant. “Well, now that we’re gathered here, let’s begin. The vows you’re about to speak…”
His words began to trail off in Sunset’s mind. She knew she should have been paying attention but she could only focus on one thought. Don’t screw this up. Don’t screw this up.
“...will hold your marriage together till death do you part. And so, may I have your vows please.”
Sunset drew a deep breath. The silence around her did little to ease her tension. Even though she couldn’t see it, she knew all eyes were on her. Mustering all the confidence she could, she turned to Twilight and started to speak. “Twi, I vow to love you, to care for you and protect you from anyone that wishes to harm you. I vow to understand you, even if we’re worlds apart.” Soft giggles echoed from the girls around them. Sunset turned, spotting several confused stares in the audience. A coy smile appeared on her lips as she continued, “i can promise a lot of things, but I guess the most important thing is that above all.” She reached forth, grabbing Twilight’s hand. “I promise to be your friend. And that will never change.”
“And you, Twilight?”
“I… I vow,” Twilight stuttered, drawing several quick breaths.
“Twi.” Sunset placed a finger on Twilight’s chin, pushing her head up. She gave Twilight a warm, reassuring grin and Twilight soon returned the gesture.
Twilight gave a confident nod before starting once more. “I vow to never let anything come between us. No fights, no anger, no magic. I’ll be there for you, like you always have been for me. To be there for you to confide in and to give you the cold side of the pillow sometimes.” The audience gave an audible laugh. “But like you said, the most important thing is that I’ll be your friend, Sunset, and that’ll always be true. I vow it.”
Twilight’s words filled Sunset with a deep warmth. She nodded towards Twilight, smiling softly as she did so. Twilight did the same, grasping Sunset’s free hand with her own.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Sunset pulled Twilight in close, planting her lips squarely on hers. The crowd erupted to a deafening roar, echoing around the gardens and no doubt into the hotel. Though to the newly weds, it didn’t matter. The world around them melted away in that moment.
For all Sunset cared, they could have been alone.
And as long as they were together, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Author's Note
Written for SciSetDaily! on their wedding day! You find the exact daily (titled Bliss) here!
Be sure to send her your support!
(And yes, I'm aware that in the cover art she's wearing a dress while here she's wearing a suit. It was meant to be a surprise present, so I wrote it without knowledge of what the artist was planning! 
)
