The Light Within Us

The nursery echoed with excited squeals as water balloons flew through the air in all directions, occasionally resulting in a yelp or a shout of protest upon contact with an unsuspecting nymph or one too slow to dodge or redirect an incoming projectile. None were deterred by this temporary setback; if anything, it only fueled their determination to return the favor tenfold, regardless of whether or not they’d picked their target correctly, not that it mattered, as everyling had already scored countless hits at everyling else and missed enough that the nursery might as well have been converted into a swimming pool given how many water balloons had burst open on impact with the walls.

Due to my size, I wasn’t faring any better, much to the delight of some of the nymphs. I didn’t mind, having joined the game willingly, but after a while the number of them seemed to be growing, and soon enough, I couldn’t keep up with them anymore. I collapsed onto the floor, soaking wet and laughing myself out of breath.

“Alright, that’s enough for today,” Gossamer said, approaching from the adjacent chamber.

“Aww, but it’s just getting interesting!” Cicada protested.

“It’ll be just as interesting tomorrow. Now, it’s almost bedtime, and your parents are here for you. Everyling’s parents, I mean.”

The protests were half-hearted; they knew there was little point in trying to convince Gossamer and their parents to stay a little longer, and they were going to be back in the morning anyway. Whether or not I would have enough free time to drop by again remained to be seen, but I had no doubt they could think of fun activities regardless of my presence.

When all had left, I found a cloth to dry myself with, then helped Gossamer clean up the puddles and the other mess left in the wake of the balloon war.

“One of these days,” Gossamer muttered, “I’m gonna start asking the nymphs to start doing this.”

“Aren’t they a little too young for that?”

“Some are. I meant the older ones. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if the younger ones just cleaned up their own messes. I don’t expect them to scrub the entire room clean, but they’ll have to have a few responsibilities eventually.”

“Well, as long as ‘responsibilities’ don’t take up the entire day and rob them of their nymphhood…”

“I didn’t mean it like that, of course. Just a bit of tidying up at the end of the day, like what we’re doing right now, as long as they don’t make an even bigger mess while pretending to clean. Wouldn’t you like to be done with it sooner so you can go do other stuff?”

“I’m used to cleaning, and it’s not like I have anything urgent waiting for me right now-”

“Maybe you do,” she said, pointing at the exit and my brother standing in the doorway.

“...now what?” I groaned. Pharynx avoided the nursery like the plague, so if he was here looking for me, it had to mean trouble!

Except he wasn’t alone like I’d expected.

“See?” Grim said. “Told you he’d be here!”

“Whatever,” he grumbled.

“What are you guys doing here?” I asked. “Did something happen?”

“That depends,” Pharynx grumbled again.

“...I don’t follow.”

“We meant to ask, since it’s never happened before and you never stated your opinion on the matter as far as we know, would two changelings be allowed to officially get married if they wanted to?”

“Of course they w- hold on, ‘we’?!”

Grim nodded enthusiastically.

“As in, specifically the two of you?!”

Her nodding intensified and sprouted a matching wide grin. Pharynx just rolled his eyes but failed to conceal a smirk of his own.”

If either of them had intended to dodge a group hug coming from my direction, they hadn’t been fast enough.

“Aww, that’s wonderful!” I squealed. “Congratulations! I’m so so so happy for both of you!”

“Really, Thorax,” Pharynx protested, trying to push himself out of my grip and failing miserably. “We’re not married yet!”

Grim chuckled.

I needed a few more seconds to come to my senses and realize holding them in a choke-hug for much longer probably wasn’t going to accomplish anything useful, and when I released them, Pharynx backed off a couple of steps.

“But I don’t understand. How long have you been together? How did you get Pharynx on a setting that’s neither ‘grumpy’ nor ‘murderous’? Why didn’t either of you say anything?!”

“I thought we just did,” Pharynx remarked.

“We wanted it to be a surprise, sort of,” Grim explained. “Also, we weren’t sure at first where we stood with each other and where we wanted to take it. Didn’t want to make any rash decisions either… but I guess when you spend a long enough time around someone and work together through good times, trouble, and everything in between, you’re bound to develop trust and a deep understanding of each other.”

“Of course! It’s just… y’know… you really caught me by surprise…”

“That’s what you get by not paying attention,” Pharynx interjected. “Given how much I’ve relied on Grim ever since you took the throne, it should have been easy for someling with your capacity for love to figure out what’s going on!”

“I thought you were just friends! How was I supposed to know there’s romance involved?”

“...at this rate I’m gonna start thinking your aural senses are nonexistent,” he groaned. “You can’t be that clueless!”

“Maybe you’re just hiding your aural flavors better than you think,” Grim said to him. “Bet I would have been easier to read, except I’m not around Thorax nearly as often as you are, and he knows I’ve been looking for a mate so a romance-flavored aura wouldn’t be a surprise from me.”

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

“That’s what you like about me,” she winked. “Thorax, do you have a vision of what changeling weddings should look like, or do we get to plan what we want in the ceremony?”

“Honestly, I have no idea,” I admitted. “I’ve never even been to a wedding unless you count being in an invading army during one, and even that one got botched. I have a vague idea of what pony weddings usually look like thanks to Sunburst’s lessons, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow the same recipe. Did you have anything specific in mind?”

“Yes,” Pharynx said. “Something that won’t escalate into a week-long hive-wide festival. We can just go to the archive and sign a scroll for all I care.”

“Come on, we discussed it,” Grim protested. “A celebration would be nice! I agree that it doesn’t have to be over-the-top, but I don’t want us to act like we’re ashamed of getting married, either!”

“...fine,” he relented. “As long as it’s within reason.”

“Great! It’s getting late now, so why don’t you two meet me in the throne room in the morning and we’ll discuss it in greater detail?”

“Works for me,” Grim chirped.

“I’ll tell Psycho to fill in for me on the training grounds,” Pharynx said.

“Sure! See you tomorrow, then!”

“One more thing, Thorax,” he said. “Keep your mouth shut about this. I don’t want the whole Equus to know about it before we even get the chance to announce it ourselves!”

I wasn’t sure about the rest of Equus, but the whole hive knew by morning.

The first sign of Pharynx not getting his wish for discretion tackled me as soon as I left my bedchamber in the form of several drones passing by only to stop abruptly and drown me with questions.

“Are you excited, Thorax? I’m so excited I could scream!”

“How did Pharynx of all people fall in love?”

“Can I be a bridesmaid?”

“Is the party gonna be huge or what?”

“Why didn’t you say we could get married? I would have done it ages ago!”

“Are we supposed to bring them gifts? What do you think they’ll like?”

“Has Grim decided who’s making her gown? I know a great seamstress if she hasn’t!”

“Girls, girls! Please!” Thankfully, they calmed down. “I don’t know the answer to almost any of that; frankly, I only just found out myself that they want to get married, we haven’t gotten around to discussing the details in regard to the wedding yet, and they asked me not to spread the news for now.”

“Oops…” one of them muttered. “Is it okay if we promise not to tell anyling?”

“As long as you keep that promise… How did you find out, anyway?” But they were already gone.

I’d barely made it into the throne room when Antenna caught up with me.

“Hey Thorax, I know it’s early and you’re probably busy, but I was wondering if maybe I can get some extra money from the treasury?”

“What for?”

“The gardens,” she said with a shrug.

“The gardens look fine. Is there a problem I’m unaware of?”

“No, no problem! It’s just that the wedding party is going to need a lot of flowers and I’ll need more fertilizer potion if I want to have any hope of growing enough!”

“You too know about the wedding?!”

“...am I not supposed to?”

“Eventually, yes, but Pharynx and Grim didn’t want to go public with it until we’ve arranged the details, including how big the celebration is going to be, which I guess will affect the demand for flowers.”

“Oh. So, I should hold off on obtaining the potion?”

“For now, yes. I’m sure they’ll come to you in due time!”

“Alright, then. Guess I’ll just… go do my stuff… See ya!”

I waved her goodbye and noticed a few drones standing at the mouth of a hallway, looking unsure of whether or not to proceed further.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Um, we’re from the choir. We wanted to know about the wedding arrangement, but I guess it’s a little early for that, heh…”

“It is. Like I told Antenna, I’m sure you’ll get your answer in due time.”

“Figured as much. Well, thanks anyway!”

That seemed to be the end of it. I breathed a sigh of questionable relief and went to sit on the throne, and as soon as I did, Pharynx stormed into the throne room, aura exploding red-hot, with Grim trailing not far behind.

“Thorax, what did I ask for last evening?” he growled.

“Um, discretion?”

“So why in the name of rotten eggshells can’t I walk two steps without getting congratulated and pestered with questions?!”

“Uh-”

“You just had to blab, didn’t you?!”

“No, I-”

“I asked for one thing, Thorax! One thing! Was it that hard to-”

“Pharynx, please!” Grim interjected. “He didn’t have to ‘blab’, as you so eloquently put it! We were in a public hallway; anyling could have overheard! Can’t you give Thorax the benefit of the doubt?”

He glared at her for a moment, then at me. “I don’t know. Thorax, can I give you the benefit of the doubt?”

“I went straight to bed after talking with you last night,” I told him. “I didn’t see anyling along the way, and even if I had, I know better than to spoil your big news like that! I don’t know who spread the news, but everyling already knew by the time I woke up, so unless you’re going to suggest that I talked in my sleep-”

“And how do you know that everyling knew?” he persisted.

“Because they swarmed me with questions. They must have figured the groom’s brother would be as good a source of information as the bride and groom themselves when they ran into me first.”

“What did you tell them?”

“Only that nothing has been discussed yet and to give you two a chance to announce it on your own terms.”

“Hmph. Fine.”

“Right… I’m sorry your wedding announcement didn’t go as you wanted, but everything else is still under control, so let’s make the most of it, shall we? Do you have anything specific in mind that you’d want to include?”

“Only that I don’t want it turning into a circus,” Pharynx muttered.

“Well… I don’t have anything specific, but I like the overall way ponies do weddings, so maybe we can do something along those lines? I mean, we probably won’t need the cake and the banquet unless we decide to invite non-changelings, but the rest of it seems alright…”

“Grim, if we’re doing it pony style, that means the whole hive will want in, and didn’t I just say I don’t want it turning into a circus?”

“What makes you think we have to invite the whole hive? …no, wait, you’re the king’s brother and second-in-command and this is the first wedding in history between two changeling drones; of course they’ll want to celebrate even if they don’t get actually invited!”

“Well finally you see what I mean!”

“But Pharynx, would it really be that bad to treat it like a minor holiday? The wedding itself can still be a small affair only for those we invite, and the rest won’t feel disappointed for being left out if we state we’re alright with them celebrating in their own ways.”

“You do realize it could turn into a security nightmare if everyling takes it as an excuse to let their guard down, right?”

“Oh, shush; I know you already have a roster of security teams planned out with enough efficiency to cover the hive three times over!”

“...I still don’t want to overblow it,” he muttered.

“Pharynx,” I interjected, “Grim has a point. Making a small holiday out of it might not be a bad idea, and the inner circle, so to speak, of who gets invited can be as large or as small as you wish. It is usually reserved for the people close to the couple getting married, and no one in their right mind would complain about being left out just because they happen to know you. That’s how Cadance and Shining’s wedding went - the real one, after we got purged out, I mean - and as far as I’m told, everypony in Canterlot had a great time whether or not they were actually invited to the wedding! You probably won’t even be aware of anything happening outside your own celebration!”

“On the other hoof,” Grim added, “if we forbid the general populace of the hive from celebration at all, they’ll probably be disappointed, and I’d rather not have our wedding ruined by a sour aura seeping in from around whichever part of the hive we reserve for the wedding.”

“Can’t Thorax invent some kind of aural force field to block that?”

“That’s not how it works,” I said dryly. Maybe there was a way, but even if I could figure out how to achieve it, it didn’t feel right.

“...fine,” he groaned. “Under one condition: noling without an invitation can get in, not even in disguise. If I see the slightest anomaly such as one single unexplained butterfly, I’m kicking everyling out and arranging a private wedding with just the two of us and Thorax or whoever else is supposed to officiate.”

“I can live with that,” Grim said. “Thorax, do you think that’s feasible?”

“It should be,” I mused. “It would be easier to implement in an indoor area, though I was considering setting up the ceremony somewhere outdoors because there are some really pretty spots. But, your wedding, your choice, huh?”

“An outdoor area would be really nice! Pharynx, can’t you arrange the guards to adequately keep watch?”

“For the entire duration of the party? Someling’s attention will slip sooner or later.”

“Then let’s hold the ceremony outdoors and then move indoors to party!”

“That could work as long as we can keep track of the guests,” he said after a moment. “What else is needed?”

“Well, I guess I’ll be the officiator,” I said, “and there’s usually music, bridesmaids, groomsponies, or groomslings in this case, the ring bearer… Am I forgetting something?”

“Other than the staff preparing everything and cleaning up afterwards, I think that’s it. Oh, a photographer!”

“Mystique can take pictures and I think I saw a few choir members leave the throne room just before we got here, so that should cover it. Proboscis can handle the cleaning crew. That leaves the ring bearer, bridesmaids, and…ugh, groomslings… Do we really need those?”

“I guess it’s up to you, but if Grim wants bridesmaids, then having a few groomslings would be a nice balance. I’m sure you can find at least a few you’re on good enough terms with who’d be interested! Now, if that’s everything, think it over, decide whom you’re inviting, and then we’ll see how soon we can set the date, okay?”

Thanks to Grim and Pharynx thinking it over surprisingly quickly given the differences in how they envisioned a perfect wedding and settling on a small ceremony that required little preparation, the big day arrived just over a week following the first announcement of their engagement. I couldn’t sleep the entire night prior; I must have been more excited than the both of them! Actually, was Pharynx even excited, or was this merely an annoyance to get over with in order to get to where he wanted to be? It still felt a bit weird that he would fall in love, but maybe he was starting to consider the hive safe enough to finally allow himself to relax and explore what else life had to offer besides war and enemies!

There would be nothing of that today, I vowed as I dug through my wardrobe in the morning, looking for an appropriate outfit. He may have dedicated his life to being our protector, and Grim may have worked hard to live up to his standards as his subordinate, but their military skills would not be needed today; this was a day of love and happiness, not of fear and misery, and I would do everything in my power to make everyling forget the iron discipline and simply rejoice!

It had taken me forever to rid my speech drafts of everything gloomy and I was fairly satisfied with how it had turned out, and Urtica had assured me with every new version that it was suitable for a wedding, and it probably was… so why was I suddenly having doubts about it? And where in the name of eggshells was that tuxedo?

…ah, there it was. After Rarity’s latest spurt of creativity, maybe it was time to find a bigger space to store all these clothes.

I got dressed and went to review the speech again. It looked alright: bright, uplifting, hopeful… but was that the problem? Was the speech just too optimistic for Pharynx?

He was going to hate it, wasn’t he?

“Hey, are you done?”

“Huh- oh, hi Pharynx! Ready for the big day?”

“I’d be readier if someling hadn’t been tossing and turning all night in the chamber next to mine.”

“Sorry… wait, why are you wearing full battle armor?”

“For the purposes of today, Thorax, it’s called a ceremonial armor, and I’m getting married in it.”

“...but why?”

“Members of the Equestria’s Royal Guard and soldiers of some other lands often wear ceremonial armor to their wedding, and since we’re borrowing foreign customs, I’ve decided to borrow one that suits me.”

I glanced at my speech draft. Yeah, definitely gonna hate it, I sighed to myself. Oh well, too late to change it now!

“So, you done or what?”

“Huh? Oh, right… yeah, I’m done… Are we starting already?”

“The flight there takes around ten minutes, and Grim says we’re not supposed to keep the guests waiting, which I agree on from the security standpoint, so unless you want to be late…” He shrugged.

“I don’t! Why would you even suggest such a thing?”

“Then what are we still standing around for?”

I couldn’t argue with that. We got underway.

“Ooh, I can’t believe this is finally happening!” I squealed as we found an exit and took to the air. “My big brother, starting a family of his own!”

He scoffed but did a poor job of hiding a smirk.

“You know, I’m still surprised at how you and Grim made a consensus on everything so quickly in the end! The way the whole thing started, I thought we’d be stuck debating every aspect for months! Not that I mind having been wrong this time…”

He rolled his eyes. “That’s probably because I figured we’d never reach a consensus, having so diametrically opposite ideas on what our wedding should look like, so I told Grim she can organize the wedding any way she wants as long as I get to organize the security around it any way I want.”

“Aww, that’s so nice of you!”

“And as long as I can veto Shining Armor from the guest list.”

“You didn’t!”

“Thorax, get real. Why would I invite the guy who wanted to torture and kill my brother, even if we’ve settled on a truce in the meantime?”

“So that’s why he isn’t coming…” I mused. “Not a friend’s bachelor party after all…”

“He might have gone to one for all I know. I didn’t bother checking up on people’s excuses.”

Fair enough, and even if Shining was busy elsewhere this weekend, I hoped he wouldn’t take too much offense for being told to keep out of here today. Hopefully the invitation for Cadance had at least been polite about it…

Soon the wedding area came into view. Grim had picked a perfect spot: a lovely recess in the shade of a birch tree and a couple of Neighponese blossoms flanked by lilac bushes and some ferns and bleeding hearts. With Antenna and Mystique’s help, she’d set up a low podium and blended it into the scenery with bouquets and floral garlands, and arranged cushions in the guests’ seating area, interspersed with more flowers. I’d offered to help, but they’d promised me they had everything under control, much to my disappointment for being essentially getting kicked out until it turned out I’d needed that time to prepare-

“The speech!” I gasped.

“What?”

“I left the speech in my bedchamber! I have to go back for it!”

I spun around and buzzed my wings harder, but he grabbed my tail, holding me in place. “No you don’t! We’re gonna be late!”

“But-”

“Seriously, Thorax, given how many times you’ve rehearsed it, one would think you’d have memorized it halfway through! Do you really need that scroll?”

I didn’t want to mess up his wedding by missing a line or two… or ten… of what I’d prepared, but he did have a point. The speech wasn’t that long, and even if I did forget something, I could probably improvise my way out of it!

“Fine,” I relented. “Let’s get into position.”

The guests were all here, observing us as we landed onto the podium. Most were changelings, but a few had come from afar: Cadance sat between Twilight and her friends on one side and Celestia and Luna on the other, an arrangement that helped her not look out of place without her husband; a few of Grim’s pony friends were scattered randomly between changelings, and Ember looked uncomfortable sitting awkwardly in what probably counted as a back corner. The bridesmaids and groomslings were in position, too: Gossamer, Coxa, and Banshee on one side of the podium, and Psycho, Spiracle, and Apex on the other. When Pharynx and I touched down, Ocellus trotted forward to take position next to me, then transferred the ring cushion from her back to her hooves.

Everything was ready and perfect. The only thing still missing was the bride.

A moment later, she emerged from behind nearby oleanders, striding reverently to the rhythm of the choir’s chant as the warm breeze ruffled her veil and the folds of her gown. As he gazed upon her, Pharynx’s aura erupted into what had to be one of the brightest states it had ever achieved in his entire life.

He really does love her, I realized. No pretending for the sake of some ulterior motive!

Grim ascended the podium, the choir finished their chant, and before moving onto the speech, I allowed myself a moment of silence so this wonderful occasion would really sink in.

“Dearly beloved, fellow changelings and friends from afar,” I began, “we are gathered here today in celebration of love between two individuals, sweet and glorious on its own, yet groundbreaking, as never before in the known history have two changelings been united in marriage. They are the first, but hopefully not the last; may their example lead us into a new era, one where every changeling celebrates the love they have for another and builds our future on the foundation of that love, like Pharynx and Grim are doing today! It warms my heart that the one pioneering this road is none other than the changeling who resisted it most!” Some of the guests tried to stifle a snicker, to which Pharynx gave a slight roll of his eyes. “Pharynx and Grim faced a lot of challenges and hardships together, and all it did was make their bond stronger! Whatever life brings them, be it good or bad, I know they will face it together and come out on top, and may they have the best of what the future has to offer!”

Well, not exactly as I’d written it, but apparently good enough, judging by the guests’ cheering.

“Now, Grim, do you take Pharynx to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and support him through good times and bad?”

“I do,” she said, taking one ring from Ocellus and placing it on Pharynx’s horn.

“And do you, Pharynx, take Grim to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and support her through good times and bad?”

“Yessir!” he said, grinning as he levitated the other ring onto Grim’s horn.

“Then it is my great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss-”

Before I could finish the sentence, Grim embraced her husband and kissed him firmly, startling him for a moment, but he pulled himself together and returned the embrace.

Congratulations, brother, congratulations, Grim, I bid them as happy tears blurred my vision and the overspill of love aura shone from their hearts. May you share a long and blissful life together!