For somepony so used to performing in front of huge crowds, Soarin had never been so nervous in all his life. He had faced many challenges in times gone by – becoming the top flight athlete in school, working his way up through the weather patrol ranks, training to become a Wonderbolt, and, more recently, preventing a freak tornado destroying Canterlot – and in all of these, he had more than triumphed. But none of these could compare with the challenge that lay ahead of him, here in Ponyville Castle, on this very day.
Getting married.
It had all begun at the Best Young Flyers' Competition a few years ago, when one of the contestants, a unicorn named Rarity, lost her (temporary) wings and fell out of the sky. He, along with two of his fellow Wonderbolts, had attempted to fly her to safety, only to be knocked out as they closed in on her, and that would have been the finish of them were it not for Rainbow Dash. Seeing them plunge towards what looked to be certain death, she ended up causing that rare phenomenon known as a Sonic Rainboom as she dived after them, only just managing to save them at the last minute. All four of them were most grateful; but none more so than Soarin, who had Rainbow Dash very much in his thoughts ever since.
They did cross paths once or twice after that, but never truly got to see each other regularly until Rainbow Dash enrolled in the Wonderbolt Academy the following year. By then, he had begun to realise that his feelings for her ran far deeper than mere gratitude, and as weeks turned to months, he found himself losing sleep over how best to act on them. He needn't have worried, of course, for it turned out that Rainbow Dash had fallen in love with him as well – indeed, she was the one to speak up first. Soarin was deeply touched by her confession, and it wasn't long before the two Pegasi began dating.
A few years later, by which time Rainbow Dash had been an official part of the Wonderbolts team for nearly eight months, their flying skills and the strength of their love were put to the ultimate test following a serious accident at the Cloudsdale Weather Factory. This resulted in a huge tornado sweeping across Equestria, big enough to devastate an entire mountain if left unchecked; and worse still, it was headed straight for Canterlot. The Wonderbolts had tried hard to bring it under control, but it was far too powerful even for them. One by one, they were quickly overwhelmed by the strong winds, until only Soarin, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash were left. Knowing that the whole of Canterlot could be razed to the ground, Soarin bravely dived into the tornado and flew hard against the direction of the wind, slowing its progress and buying Rainbow Dash just enough time to achieve yet another Sonic Rainboom before flying into it herself. In this way, and against all the odds, they managed to break up the tornado barely half a mile beyond the outskirts, and were hailed as national heroes upon their return to base. A few weeks after that came the most important question of all – to which Rainbow Dash's answer had been an overjoyed “yes”. Now, five months on, it was finally happening...
The sound of the Wedding March brought Soarin back to reality, and he gazed down the aisle, awestruck by the sight that met his eyes. At the head of the procession was little Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash's surrogate sister, whom they had chosen as their flower filly. Close behind came Rainbow Dash herself, in a stunning white gown with golden trim. Her mane had been finely brushed into a ponytail, and she was gazing back upon her groom with a warm, loving smile that was only partially obscured by the veil over her face. She was flanked by her father Bow Hothoof on one side and Pinkie Pie on the other as her maid-of-honour, with her other four bridesmaids, Derpy, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack, bringing up the rear.
“Well worth the wait, eh Soarin?” Spitfire stood behind him with a hearty smile of her own. The two Pegasi had been close friends since their school days, so it was only natural that the baby blue stallion should have chosen her as his best mare.
Soarin could only nod in reply.
As Rainbow Dash neared the altar, she shared a final nuzzle with her father before stepping up to stand face-to-face with Soarin. His eyes glistened with undying affection as he whispered unto her, “You look awesome, Dashie.”
“You too, Soar,” replied Rainbow Dash softly.
Behind her, Scootaloo allowed a delighted smile of her own. She had been looking forward to this day ever since Rainbow Dash had announced her engagement; although she was a little uneasy when the two older Pegasi started dating, Soarin was most understanding of her, and Scootaloo quickly warmed to him too. Now, all she could feel was joy and happiness for her sister, and their choice of Rumble as ring bearer, a colt whom she herself had been dating for some time, served only to warm her heart still further. As the music began to fade, she stole a brief, loving glance in his direction, thinking of how she too hoped to marry him someday – perhaps this wedding would be good practice for them, she thought!
Princess Celestia stepped forward and cleared her throat. As a token of appreciation for the couple's heroics, she had offered to officiate at their wedding. “My little ponies,” she began cordially, “we are gathered here today to witness the union of Wing Commander Soarin Starr and Squadron Leader Rainbow Dash, two of the finest flyers in the Wonderbolts Air Display Team. Earlier this year, as we all know, the city of Canterlot was nearly destroyed when careless handling of storm clouds resulted in a tornado of alarming proportions. Even before this, the love shared between these two has been as clear as daylight and twice as strong – indeed, strong enough to prevail against this deadly meteorological anomaly where others had failed. Were it not for their bravery, thousands – nay, millions of lives could have been lost, and it therefore gives me great pleasure in joining them together in the bonds of wedlock. I trust there are no objections to this marriage?”
The only sound that could be heard was a faint sob from Rarity as she levitated a handkerchief to her eyes. Over on the front row, Rainbow Dash's mother wiped away her own tears as she and Bow Hothoof gazed with pride upon their daughter.
“As I thought,” smiled Celestia. “Soarin, do you take Rainbow Dash as your wife, for better or worse, to have and to hold as long as time will allow?”
Soarin, lost in Rainbow Dash's eyes even with the veil obscuring them, nodded wholeheartedly. “I do.”
“Rainbow Dash, do you take Soarin as your husband, for better or worse, to have and to hold as long as time will allow?”
“You bet,” breathed Rainbow Dash.
“Good. Now, Rumble, if we could have the rings, please?”
The grey colt bowed obediently, and stepped forward with a red cushion containing the rings. Summoning her magic, Celestia levitated them onto Soarin and Rainbow Dash's hooves and said, “With these rings and vows, and by the powers vested in me, I hereby proclaim you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
The sound of applause echoed throughout the hall as Rainbow Dash lifted the veil and locked lips with her new husband. In a vain attempt to maintain her decorum, Spitfire choked back a small sob of delight as she and the other Wonderbolts saluted the happy couple.
“As a further token of gratitude on behalf of the nation and myself,” continued Celestia as the two Pegasi broke apart, “I have one final, very special gift which I would like to bestow upon our newly-weds,” and she set her horn aglow once more.
Soarin and Rainbow Dash looked on, puzzled, as Celestia's aura enveloped them and lifted them into the air. As it did so, they felt a strange surge of energy course its way through their bodies, and their foreheads began to tingle as something materialised on them. When at last the magic faded, the audience, the bridesmaids, the other Wonderbolts, and even the bride and groom themselves were awestruck by what they saw. In place of his mess jacket, Soarin now wore the red tunic with gold trim of a Royal Guard officer, while Rainbow Dash's gown had taken on a close resemblance to the one worn by Princess Cadance at her own wedding – but the change of dress wasn't even half the cause of their delight...
“As saviours of Canterlot, you are hereby decorated as Sir Soarin and Lady Rainbow Dash, Protectors of the Realm, and two of our newest alicorns,” finished Celestia, paying particular attention to the horns that now adorned the former Pegasi's foreheads.
Another ripple of applause followed, punctuated by a loud cheer from Scootaloo who hovered like a hummingbird in her excitement. Once again, Windy Whistles was so choked up with pride that she could barely hold her tears back – seeing her only daughter getting married was heart-warming enough on its own, but her becoming an alicorn as well? It was far more than either of them could have dreamed of.
That evening, after an enjoyable wedding reception in the castle ballroom, the carriage arrived to take Soarin and Rainbow Dash to Cloudsdale for their honeymoon. The happy couple thanked all their friends and family for making this a day to remember, and just before they boarded, Rainbow Dash stopped for a moment to speak to Scootaloo, who was standing near the carriage with Rumble.
“Hey, Scootaloo,” she said, “we're going to our honeymoon. You and Rumble wanna come with us?”
The two younger Pegasi gasped in delight. They had expected that Soarin and Rainbow Dash would want to spend their honeymoon alone, and while Scootaloo hadn't wanted to be left behind, neither of them had anticipated Rumble being invited to join them. Either way, neither of them were about to pass it up, so they both responded with an eager “Yes!” before Rumble galloped over to his older brother. “Is that okay with you, Thunderlane?” he asked hopefully.
“Fine by me, little fella!” smiled Thunderlane. He was a good friend to Rainbow Dash himself, so he knew she would take good care of him. “Hope you guys enjoy yourselves.”
“Aw, thanks, bro!” grinned Rumble, and cantered briskly over to the carriage just as Rainbow Dash tossed her bouquet out of the window. Whether it was by chance or design, he couldn't be sure; but as the unmarried mares grabbed frantically for it, the bouquet ended up landing squarely in Scootaloo's hooves. Both she and Rumble stood still for a moment, entranced by what had just transpired, before the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice calling their names snapped them back to reality. They hastily scrambled aboard, and amid an endless chorus of farewell cheers, the carriage took off for Cloudsdale, all four of its passengers waving back until they were out of sight.
As the sun went down and Ponyville receded further and further into the distance, Rainbow Dash snuggled up to her new husband, thinking of what the future might hold for them. A light snore caught their attention, and they looked over to Scootaloo and Rumble with soft smiles. The two foals were tired out from the day's events, and had fallen asleep within each other's embrace.
“Those two sure look sweet together,” murmured Soarin.
“Just like you and me, Soar,” agreed Rainbow Dash fondly. It seemed only yesterday that Scootaloo had first confided in her about the crush she had on Rumble; as much as Rainbow Dash hated to appear “sappy”, she could see how nervous the filly was, and readily sympathised with her, promising her all the help she could give. Even now, as she watched them slumber, it warmed her heart just thinking how lucky her little sister was to have found love at such a young age. Give it another twelve years or so, she thought, and they too might be getting their fairytale ending.
This gave her an idea. With nary more than a wink at Soarin, she discretely set her horn aglow, wrapping Scootaloo and her own veil in the multicoloured glow of her magic. Neither she nor Rumble stirred as her bridesmaid's dress began to take on a new form...
The morning sun was just peeking over the horizon as the carriage passed through the outskirts of Cloudsdale, its passengers still fast asleep. Only when it began to slow down did Rainbow Dash awaken, and she looked out of the window to see a large, elegant building emblazoned with the words “CLOUDSDALE SKYLINE HOTEL”.
“This is it, guys,” she said, stirring the others out of their slumber. “Our honeymoon begins here.”
“Aw, great,” murmured Soarin, smiling broadly with anticipation.
But Rumble barely noticed. As he looked across to Scootaloo to see if she was awake, his eyes widened with awe and affection. “Oh, wow!” he gasped.
“Eh what?” asked Scootaloo, waking up with a start. “What's up?”
“Your dress...it's......it's changed.”
Sure enough, as Scootaloo looked down, she was amazed to see that her flower filly dress had somehow transformed into a smaller version of Rainbow Dash's wedding gown. Even the crown of roses she had worn the previous day had been replaced by a small silver tiara, while her mane had taken on a similar style to Princess Cadance's. “Whoa!” she breathed. “I...I look...”
“...beautiful,” whispered Rumble fondly.
“...awesome!” finished Scootaloo, overjoyed. It wasn't quite the word she was looking for, but at least it wasn't anything sappy. For a fleeting moment, she couldn't help wondering how this had happened – until she looked over to Rainbow Dash and remembered her and Soarin's alicorn transformation. “It was you, wasn't it?”
Rainbow Dash smiled modestly and gave a light shrug. “Ah, well,” she replied, “I just thought I'd give my little sister a little treat – make her feel like a bride in her own right.” She barely finished her sentence before the orange filly flung her arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.
“Aw, thanks, Dash!” she spoke warmly. “You're the best!”
“You're welcome, squirt,” answered Rainbow Dash softly as she hugged her back.
Once they had pulled up outside the entrance, the four ponies paid and thanked the six Pegasi who had drawn their carriage, and went into the reception lobby. Soarin and Rainbow Dash had already booked a three-bedroom suite, so all they had to do was pay the receptionist and collect the keys for their rooms. Just as they were about to head upstairs, Soarin scooped up Rainbow Dash in his arms, earning a fond gaze into his eyes as he carried her bridal-style towards the elevator.
Rumble gazed tentatively at Scootaloo. “You wanna...?” he began.
“Go right ahead, Rummy bear,” smiled Scootaloo, wrapping her arms around his barrel. Taking it as his cue, Rumble picked her up in the same fashion and followed Soarin and Rainbow Dash across the lobby, letting loose a slight giggle as Scootaloo leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
For both the happy couple and their young entourage, this was the start of a truly memorable honeymoon.
Having settled into their suite, the four ponies spent the rest of the day exploring the hotel and sampling the luxuries it had to offer. Among them were the lavishly appointed bar lounge, four restaurants including a beautiful palm court, and a day spa where they treated themselves to a nice, relaxing massage and a dip in the rainbow pool. They did attract a great deal of attention, Soarin and Rainbow Dash especially – none of the other guests had expected to see a pair of alicorns in their midst, newly wed or not, and indeed many wondered if they had just gained a new prince and princess! The two former Pegasi did have to explain that this wasn't the case, but were deeply flattered nonetheless.
That evening, after taking dinner in the palm court, Scootaloo and Rumble went for a wander while Soarin and Rainbow Dash treated themselves to a drink at the bar. They had intended to take a walk around the hotel grounds, but they hadn't even reached the exit when Rumble spotted something out of the corner of his eye. To his left was a pair of glass doors leading to an almost empty room – empty, that is, except for a few armchairs lining the walls. Music floated from within, and as he looked up, he could see the legend “HOTEL BALLROOM” above the doorway in fancy letters.
“Wow,” he murmured. “I must have missed that as we came in.”
“Missed what now?”
Rumble pointed to the signage, and as Scootaloo read it, he noticed a slightly dreamy look in her eyes. “I know this isn't normally your thing, Scoot,” he murmured earnestly, “but I'd kinda been hoping...you know...”
Scootaloo gave him a knowing smile, but one that held the slightest hint of anxious anticipation. “Yeah, go on?” she replied.
“...could I have this dance, my fair filly?”
For a brief moment, the tiniest hint of mischief registered in Scootaloo's expression. “Well...you're right, this isn't my thing...”
Rumble looked a little dismayed.
“...but for you, Rummy bear, I'd do anything,” Scootaloo reassured him fondly, her smile widening as her beau brightened up again. “So yeah, let's dance.”
And dance they did – as the next musical number began to play, a slow, soothing and romantic tune, they began gliding across the dance floor in an equally gentle waltz. Rumble had only ever had the odd movie to go by, so even though he maintained a graceful composure, he was thankful that Scootaloo was such a natural at this sort of thing. He sighed happily as she rested her head on his shoulder, and imagined them taking their first dance on their own wedding day.
For a while, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two young Pegasi to glide across the dance floor in each other's embrace. Neither of them had much of an idea how long it lasted; indeed, time itself seemed to stand still for them until the music finally drew to its climax. As it did so, Scootaloo pulled back a little and gazed deeply and fondly into Rumble's eyes. Rumble smiled back, his eyes lidding over with affection – and then, as the final note played, long and emotional, came the crowning moment that they would remember for the rest of their lives. They had given each other the odd nuzzle and peck on the cheek or forehead in the past, but strangely never shared an actual kiss until now. And as their lips made contact, they could only agree deep down that this was the perfect moment to savour it.
From the doorway, Rainbow Dash looked on with a warm smile. She had come looking for the two young ponies to inform them that she and Soarin were retiring for the night, and was just in time to see them share their first kiss. It was such a precious sight to behold, so sweet and heart-warming and...perfect, and almost brought tears to her eyes. Scootaloo sure was growing up, she thought wistfully.
