Nervous hooves trotted in place atop the pedestal on which they were stood. The multicolored dress that hung off of her was being hemmed by an irritated white unicorn. The needle which the unicorn was using hit the standing mare's flank.
"Ow! Rarity, watch it!" Rainbow Dash glared at her friend. It was her wedding day and she didn't want to look like swiss cheese.
"I told you not to move, darling. Hemming a dress on the fly is not an easy feat to accomplish. Alas even I, the greatest seamstress known to Equestria, has trouble with it." Rarity went on with hemming the dress, she was even wearing her red rimmed glasses to give herself that edge. "Of course, we wouldn't have to be doing this if you hadn't put off the wedding for so long and gotten pregnant in the meantime..."
It was true, she was with foal...and it showed. It was true that she was only 4 months along, but her once toned stomach now bulged towards the ground with the weight of an unborn foal. Dash had lamented over the loss of aerodynamics and her figure, but in the end she was always happy.
"Well, you try resisting that stallion the night he proposes..." The blue mare's mind went back to that...magical night by the rainbow stream that ran through her cloud property. It was the happiest moment of her life so far. Rarity just rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, I know...you could resist him. You have your own irresistible pony who fills your heart and days with happiness and joy, etc,etc." Rarity delivered that spiel every time somepony brought up a pony they thought was hot or cute, or just attractive. It was quite annoying.
"Yes...well, I'm done. You're all right now, Rainbow Dash." Rarity stepped back and admired her work, as she always did. The wedding dress was nothing but a modified version of Rainbow's old gala dress. Even though Rarity opposed the idea of reusing a design, Dash insisted that 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Just the slogan made Rarity cringe.
"Finally." The bulging pony stepped down from the pedestal, she spread her wings, then leaned forward to crack her back. "Ahh...that feels so good...He keeps on kicking my spine like he's mad at it..." Yes, they already knew the gender. Male. And since both parents were of pure pegasus ancestry, they could also predict the race.
"Perhaps he's mad that his mother will never rest..." Rarity deadpanned.
Rainbow Dash had little time to rest, she was busy coordinating the weather pony teams...not helping though. When she wasn't doing that, she was traveling to watch Soarin's Wonderbolt performances or helping out her friends. She lead a hectic life, even when she was supposed to take it slow, her poor swollen hooves could attest to that. But during those seldom times of cooldown, Dash always had Rarity. The unicorn had already been through two pregnancies, one that resulted in a happy young filly, and another....that didn't turn out quite as happy.
"Hey, idle hooves are Discord's playthings." The pegasus retorted. "And I ain't no plaything for Discord."
"I am not a..." The unicorn often corrected her friend nowadays, it was a bit of a hobby even.
"Whatever. You knew what I meant." Dash started heading towards the door of the boutique. "Off to the chapel!"
In the skies above, in an elaborate, rainbow decorated cloud house, the groom sat down. His suit jacket was open, the top two buttons of his undershirt and his bow tie hung loosely around his neck. Thunderlane sat on one side of him, and The Doctor on the other. Thunderlane and him had been friends for a while now, ever since Soarin moved to Ponyville really. He was Soarin's Best Colt. The Doctor...well...The Doctor burst in the house at the last second and said he had to be at the wedding, and that he's never missed the wedding of a friend. The strange pony had also swapped Soarin's regular tie for a bow tie, insisting that 'bow ties are cool'.
"So...how come you look different than before?" Soarin questioned the pony with the hourglass cutie mark next to him.
"Hmm? Oh, right, this. Bad things happened and I got a new face! Fantastic really." The Doctor still had the trademark accent. But other than that, one couldn't tell if he was truly The Doctor. The old Doctor was a light brown earth pony with a slicked back dark brown mane and a green necktie, this new Doctor was a grayish-brown pegasus with a styled dark brown mane and he wore a blue top hat and a bow tie to match.
"C'mon Soarin, really? Questioning The Doctor? How nervous are you?" Thunderlane chuckled and jabbed a knee into Soarin's side playfully.
"Well, how nervous were you on your wedding day...?" Soarin wasn't able to go to Thunderlane's wedding, unforeseen circumstances with the Captain of the Wonderbolts made sure of that. He had heard stories about the colt quite literally shaking in his fur.
"Well, past a certain point it blends nervousness and excitement...that's where the magic happens. That's the exact moment when you have to decide if you do or you don't. That's where everypony needs to be at least once in their life." Soarin's stormy gray friend held some profound wisdom for a younger colt, he had a lot of life experience to make up for his age.
"I remember my wedding. Scariest day of my life..." Commented The Doctor. "Not because I was nervous, Nooo, I knew it was coming. I was prepared. All of time was collapsing around me, now that's quite terrifying." The Doctor put a hoof around Soarin. "You know what my friend said to me before that?" The other two colts just shook their heads, not like anypony could predict what The Doctor was going to say next anyways. "You're a complete fool for doing this, you're going to destroy us all, you fool." He nodded at Soarin. "True story. Made my decision that much more clear."
Soarin was going to dismiss the crazy pony's ramblings with a simple 'riiight' like he usually did, but this struck a chord. This day wasn't about him being nervous, or even about his Dashie being pregnant like certain someponies had suggested, it was about taking a chance, sacrificing some things, and hoping for the best....just like The Doctor had said....sorta.
"You're brilliant, did you know that Doc?" Soarin smiled at his crazy pal and gave him a quick hug, which just elicited a stare from Thunderlane.
"Well I've been told before, but it means something coming from you Mr. Wonderbolt." The Doctor chuckled, then produced a pocket watch from inside his collar. "Oh me, oh my, we are late! We are late for a very important date!" The Doctor stood up and looked around. "C'mon gents, we haven't got much time before the bride arrives at the chapel!" The other two colts in the room turned to the clock hanging on the wall, indeed they were going to be late if they didn't hurry. Soarin and Thunderlane stood up, Thunderlane gathered up the rings and gave them to The Doctor to hold, Soarin buttoned up his shirt, jacket, and tied his bow tie in a single fluid motion.
All three colts ran out of the house, then flew in the sky towards the chapel.
--
Some time later, the event was ready to begin. Each row of seats was filled up with family, friends, or acquaintances. At the front of the chapel, The Princess of the Night stood tall and proud above Soarin. She was residing over the ceremony because she was the overseer of the Wonderbolts and she owed Rainbow Dash a debt for freeing her from Nightmare Moon.
"When will she get here..." Soarin was nervous, sweat covered his brow, his knees were knocking, and even worse: his bow tie was crooked.
"Calm yourself, Lieutenant Soarin. We are confident that your blushing bride to be will enter any second." The Princess gave Soarin a warm smile, which only distracted Soarin for a moment...then the door opened.
Rainbow Dash came out, beside her was an older pegasus. His cobalt blue mane and gray coat identified him as Dash's father. Soarin had only heard about the stallion before now. He was an architect in Cloudsdale, one of the best, and he was walking his daughter down the aisle. The cold stare Soarin received from him only served to unnerve Soarin further. The closer and closer they came, the more willing Soarin was to accept the idea of running away and never coming back.
"Listen here Soarin..." Rainbow's father was speaking to him in a low whisper. "I love my little Rainy here..." The nickname caused the mare to blush furiously in embarrassment. "And I'm glad I finally have confirmation that she likes colts..." The blush deepened. "But if you hurt her, I'll make sure your building isn't quite up to code....are we clear...?" Soarin nodded quickly. "Good. Welcome to the family, son." The old pegasus gave Soarin one last big smile then turned around and took his seat.
The Wonderbolt turned back to his fiance, who was now standing right across from him.
"H-Hey..." He said nervously.
"Hi..." Said Rainbow Dash, doing an awfully good impression of Fluttershy.
"Shall we begin?" The Princess leaned in to ask. Both pegasi nodded. The Princess cleared her throat. "Honorable family members and guests of Rainbow Dash and Lieutenant Soarin of the Equestrian Airforce. We welcome you to the joining of these two ponies in an eternal bond!" Both sides of the chapel gave earnest nods, a certain pink mare cheered wildly. "Calm yourself chicken-mare! There is still much to say!" Luna was new to this, needless to say. "These two ponies have come together out of love, they gave their hearts and minds to each other in a way that few ponies seldom will." Soarin gave Dash a light nuzzle at this, which made the crowd give an equally appropriate 'Awww.' "Under Equestrian law I am obligated to ask the permission of the parents in this matter. Cloud Shaper, Father of Rainbow Dash and Patriarch of the Rain Clan, do you consent to this marriage?" All eyes turned to the gray stallion who now stood proud, his wings flared.
"I do."
"Good. Spitfire, seeing as how Soarin's parents could not make it to this occasion and you being his Commanding Officer, do you consent to this marriage?" The Yellow mare was standing, just staring at the couple. While it was true that she still had residual feelings for the groom, she also knew that she had a snowball's chance in Tartarus with getting him. So with no other choice, and not a hint of malice in her words, she spoke.
"I do..."
Luna nodded. "Lieutenant Soarin. Do you have anything to say to Rainbow Dash?"
Soarin looked at Rainbow Dash. She just looked so beautiful. It made his mouth dry, it made his hooves sweat, it made his wings feel like lead weights on his back. "Y-Yes.." He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I...Rainbow Dash. I know that we have had some rough patches in our relationship...especially in the beginning, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, no matter where we are or what we're up against....that we'll always be together, no matter what..." Dash was tearing up, half of the audience was tearing up from the kind and true words of the Air Force Officer.
"Rainbow Dash? Do you have anything you would like to say?"
She stared at him with those big magenta eyes, those eyes that brought him so much joy, so much pain, so many sleepless nights, and a warm feeling in his heart whenever she passed. "Soarin. I love you. I...I think we all know that I'm not the kind of mare that can spout off sappy speeches...it's just not who I am. It defies my awesome." That got a much needed chuckle out of the room. "But that's why I'm happy to have you. You take me for who I am. For what I am....I couldn't ask for a dime more."
Now even Cloud Shaper was tearing up, just a bit. Perhaps it hit him that he wasn't going to be the main male in his daughter's life anymore...and that she was grown up and not his little Rainy.
"Rainbow Dash, do you take this colt to be your Lawfully wedded husband?" Rainbow Dash nodded.
"I-I do.."
"Soarin, do you take this mare to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Everything froze. A pit formed in his stomach and all of his worries and fears collected there, he felt weak, he felt powerless. An overwhelming task lay ahead of him, he knew it would be full of ups and downs, they would laugh, they would cry. The would share some of the greatest and worst moments of their life together. He stilled himself. He loved this mare, he loved her more than anything in the whole world, and just like The Doctor, no matter how foolish it seemed, no matter the risks, he was going to do it anyways. He was going to love this mare for the rest of his days.
"I do..."
