A Not-So-Royal Las Pegasus Wedding

Starlight and Sunburst had the entire Tartarus’ Kitchen restaurant, located inside the Ponylaggio, reserved for the rehearsal dinner. Thus it was a convenient location for all of the wedding guests who were staying at the hotel. The chefs had already begun their work when Starlight poked her head into the kitchen to check.

A unicorn stallion with a sandy blond mane smiled at Starlight and stepped up to greet her. “Ah, if it isn’t the bride-to-be. It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss,” he said in a Trottingham accent, offering Starlight his hoof in greeting. “I’m the head chef, Flamin’ Yawn. How can I serve you?”

Starlight grabbed his hoof, and he shook it gently. “Oh, I don’t need anything. I’m just checking on the buffet for tonight’s rehearsal dinner.”

“Don’t worry about a thing, miss. We’ve got everything under control.”

A loud crash came from the kitchen, and the chef winced as he turned at the noise. Somepony had knocked over a utility cart, spilling various kitchen tools all over the floor. Flamin’ Yawn’s quiet tone erupted into sudden shouting. “Bain Marie! How many times do I have to flipping tell you? Watch what you’re doing! Now we have to wash every one of those because they’ve touched the flipping floor! And Beurre Blanc, that’s way too much flipping vinegar, you idiot! The acid is going to dissolve the food before the dinner even starts! What is wrong with you ponies?! Is this a kitchen or a flipping circus, because you’re all clowns!”

“Yes, Chef!” the entire kitchen shouted in unison.

Starlight listened to the outburst in shock. When Flamin’ Yawn finished his tirade, she spoke her mind. “Okay, I’m glad you’re not MY boss. Seems more like a boot camp than a kitchen.”

“It’s a cutthroat business, miss. These are all young hopefuls, and if they can’t learn to work under intense pressure, they’ll never make it as professional chefs.” Flamin’ Yawn snapped around to the kitchen, keeping a close eye on the rookies.

At that moment, Sunburst stepped in and gave Starlight a kiss on the lips. He rubbed her cheek and gazed into her eyes. Starlight still couldn’t believe that by this time tomorrow, she’d be his wife.

“How’s the dinner coming, my beautiful bride?”

“Hey, Julienne, I’ve seen snails cut vegetables faster than that! Move your flank, you stupid donkey!”

“On it, Chef!”

“About like that,” Starlight replied, rolling her eyes.

“Okay, that was a little harsh, wasn’t it?” Sunburst asked. “Everypony makes mistakes. No need for name-calling.” He craned his head further in and saw that Julienne was, in fact, a literal donkey. There were even a couple of griffon chefs hard at work. Las Pegasus really was a melting pot of creatures and cultures.

“Normally, I’d advise you not to tell me how to do my job, but you are the newlyweds and this is ultimately your rehearsal dinner. Just understand that it’s my reputation on the line and I’d like it to be a memorable occasion for you. Oh, pardon me one moment. Grillin! Come here, you!”

One of the two griffins stopped what he was doing and approached Flamin’ Yawn. “Yes, Chef?”

“‘Yes, Chef’,” Flamin’ Yawn mocked, his face now flaring with anger. “What do I have to do to get it through your thick skull? Wear a net! You’re getting your dirty feathers in the salad, you nincompoop. We’re going to have to toss it out now!”

“Sorry, Chef.”

“Don’t apologize, just put on a flipping net. It’s not that difficult! Now chop chop, birdbrain. Back to work.”

“Yes, Chef.”

Starlight let out a nervous chuckle and silently hoped nopony would find griffon feathers in their food.

It’s fine. Everything will be fine. Totally fine. I hope…

Sunburst wrapped his foreleg around the back of Starlight’s neck, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Hey, stop stressing. Everything’s going to be perfect. Flamin’ Yawn is one of the most respected chefs in Equestria.”

Starlight allowed Sunburst’s words to calm her as he guided her into the dining area. In the time they’d been together, he’d learned to read her like a book and always seemed to know when she was nervous or upset, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

The restaurant door opened and Trixie entered, followed by Maud Pie, Applejack and Sunset Shimmer.

Sunburst smiled at them. “Look, hun, your bridesmares are here.”

“Mare of honor, thank you very much,” Trixie said, putting a hoof to her chest in pride. “It’s an honor bestowed upon only the greatest and most powerful friend!”

Starlight beamed at the new arrivals and wrapped her front legs around Trixie. “Trixie! I’m so glad to see you! You, too, Maud. Applejack, Sunset.” Starlight hugged each of them. “It means so much to me that you’re all here.”

“Aw, shucks. I wouldn’t miss it, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “I’m right tickled that you made me one of your bridesmares.”

“Likewise,” Maud said. “Boulder and I are so happy for you.” Though Maud’s face and voice didn’t show it, Starlight knew her well enough to know that the remark was genuine.

“I wouldn’t miss my little brother’s wedding for the world,” Sunset chipped in. “Either of them.”

Starlight chuckled, scratching the back of her neck as she recalled her brief time with Sunset in the human world. “Right. I’m sure you’re very busy over… there.”

“Not too busy to be a bridesmare.” Sunset patted Sunburst on the shoulder. “Hey, you doing alright, little bro?”

“About as well as I can,” Sunburst replied. “Right now, I might be the most anxious pony in Equestria. The butterflies in my stomach are going crazy!” He wrapped a foreleg around Starlight’s neck. “But tomorrow, I’ll be the happiest pony in Equestria.”

It wasn’t just butterflies in her stomach, Starlight decided. It was more like hornets going crazy because somepony had just thrown a rock at their nest. “Well, I’d be lying if I said I’m not nervous, too.”

“Of course you are,” Trixie said. “When aren’t you nervous?”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “More than usual. This is my wedding, Trix. This is big. Like, really big!”

"Wow, Twilight really has rubbed off on you," a new voice chimed in. Starlight turned her head to see Spike stepping into the restaurant, followed by Sunburst's entourage of groomscolts.

"Look out, make way, best dragon coming through!"

Starlight giggled at Spike's playful boast. He wasn't claiming to be the best dragon in all of Equestria, but Sunburst's hoof-picked best colt for the wedding. Given Starlight's close bond with Twilight, it was no surprise that Sunburst had grown fond of them as well. Shining Armor was Twilight’s big brother and Discord had already been a (sometimes reluctant) friend of Starlight’s. The guys often bonded over comic books and playing Ogres & Oubliettes.

“And there’s my merry band of miscreants!” Sunburst said, rather jokingly. “Thank you all for accepting my offers to be my groomscolts. It means a lot.”

“Are you kidding?!” Shining asked. “You and Starlight are like family to us!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“And to think I, the Lord of Chaos, would be a part of a wedding, of all things. Discord, old boy, you seem to have grown soft. I might just have to spice things up a bit.” At the word ‘spice’, Discord summoned tubes of cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, and nutmeg.

“No antics, Discord,” Starlight warned, still unsure of Sunburst’s wisdom in choosing him as a groomscolt. “I swear to Celestia, if you ruin our wedding…”

“Oh, come now, wouldn’t dream of it,” Discord said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “I mean, how cliché can you get? ‘Oh, here comes Discord to ruin the wedding at the last moment, who would have guessed?’ Entirely too predictable. If I wanted to crash a wedding, I’d show up unannounced and unplanned. It’s so much more chaotic when nopony expects a thing.”

“Why would you want to ruin a wedding in the first place?” Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow. Starlight had told her stories about the Lord of Chaos, but Sunset had never met him before. She eyed Discord, warily sizing up the strange being.

“I see my charms are lost upon you, given that you haven’t had the honor. I am Discord, Lord of Chaos. I’d do it for the fun of it, or perhaps to teach somepony a lesson. For example, I once turned a bridal veil into a jellyfish at the altar. You should have heard the screams and seen the panic! The poor girl had to be taken to a hospital to get treated for the stings.”

"What lesson was she supposed to learn from that?" Sunset asked, her expression a mix of disbelief and horror.

“You see, the bride-to-be just so happened to have a secret stallion on the side. It would have been much crueler if I’d let the ceremony go on and HADN’T spared the groom from a lifetime’s worth of heartbreak. The lesson being, infidelity has a terrible price.”

Sunset turned to her little brother and pointed at Discord. “You picked him as a groomscolt?”

Sunburst’s eyes darted, his face registering embarrassment. “Well, he’s not that bad once you get to know him.”

“Discord, not now,” Starlight said, her face buried in her hoof. “Save your… questionable exploits for the reception. I don’t want you freaking anypony out before the wedding.”

Discord rolled his eyes and leaned on Starlight with his elbow. “Oh, my dear Starlight, that cyan charlatan over there is right. You do worry too much.”

“Excuse me?!” Trixie barked, knowing that Discord was referring to her. “Trixie is not a charlatan, you chaotic nuisance!” She began to approach him when the door to the restaurant opened and Firelight stepped inside.

“I’m here!”

“Dad!” Starlight wrapped him in a hug, grateful for the interruption. “You made it!”

Firelight threw his front legs around Starlight and squeezed her tight. “Of course I did, sugar plum. I’m the father of the bride, after all. And I couldn’t be prouder!”

“I love you, too, Dad, but I can’t breathe.”

He pushed his daughter away and took a long look at her. “My little filly, she’s-” Firelight sniffled and wiped a tear from his eye. “She’s all grown up.”

Starlight chuckled and rubbed her father's back. "Oh, Dad. You know I'll always be your little filly, no matter how old I get."

"I know, I know," Firelight said, regaining his composure. "Time goes by too fast."

“Come on, don’t go getting all emotional on me already. The wedding’s not until tomorrow.”

“You’re right, I’ll save it for the big day. So, where’s the lucky stallion?” He glanced around, spotted Sunburst amongst his groomscolts, and patted him on the back. “Ah, there’s my soon-to-be son-in-law! You’ll take good care of her, right?”

Sunburst nodded. “I will, sir, though I think she’ll be taking care of me. Starlight’s far more powerful than I am.”

The door opened again, and Stellar Flare entered. With a slight sigh, she approached the group.

“Sunburst, dear,” she began, her voice laced with warmth and motherly authority, “while I’m sure Starlight can handle herself just fine, don’t forget that you’re the stallion. It’ll be your job to protect her.”

Sunburst's cheeks tinged with a mixture of embarrassment and affection, and he nodded in response as he wrapped a foreleg around Starlight. "Of course, Mom. I'll do my best to take care of her."

Stellar Flare gave Starlight a quick hug. “And you’ll take good care of him, too, won’t you? Make sure he keeps up with his plans and stays on task?”

Starlight giggled at that while Sunburst facehoofed. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be all over him.”

Twilight Sparkle arrived next and greeted Starlight with a hug. “I’m so happy for you, Starlight.”

“Thanks. There’s nopony else I’d rather officiate our wedding. You’ve done so much for me.”

Twilight smiled at them. “It’s an honor, you two.”

Rainbow Dash entered next, followed by Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity.

“It’s so awesome that you picked only the most awesome place in Equestria to have a wedding!” Rainbow said. “I love Las Pegasus!”

“It only made sense,” Sunburst said. “We shared our first kiss in this city, at Corrals of Fun.”

“It’s also where we first declared our love for each other,” Starlight chipped in.

Rarity let out a longing sigh. “Oh, so you’ve brought everything full-circle. How romantic!”

Princess Cadence and Flurry Heart, several residents of Ponyville and the students from the School of Friendship, Sunburst’s aunt, uncle and cousins – all arrived in the restaurant. Even the residents of Our Town showed up per Starlight’s invitation. Everyone talked among themselves and the soon-to-be newlyweds until the chefs brought out the buffet line and the aroma of fresh baked bread and roasted vegetables filled the air, causing everyone's stomachs to rumble with anticipation.