Intimate Details

Intimate Details - Part 16 “The Best Night Ever” - Part 2

The doors opened, and Rarity was awestruck. The swell of music that erupted was enough to steal her breath away. The sight of everyone standing, their faces turned towards her in adoration, was enough to make her knees weak. She could have collapsed then and there, so helpless did she feel. Only one thing willed her to move. And that was Octavia, standing at the far end of the aisle.

It was probably the longest walk of her life. Rarity placed one tenuous foot in front of the other, moving slowly at first. But then she saw Octavia’s lips curl into a smile. Her steps came faster then. She found the strength in her legs to move forward. One step at a time. She tried to tell herself. But the sight of Octavia standing before her, one step removed from the altar, almost spurred her into a run. Rarity managed to check herself, and she didn’t have to remind herself to smile. The action came as natural to her as breathing in that moment.

To her left and right, wedding guests watched her advance down the ribbon-bedecked aisle, passing between bouquets of roses as red as blood, and curtains of white as pure as snow. Amongst the guests Rarity spotted Amethyst, Fleur De Lis, Natalie, and several other high-society Canterlites. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were in attendance as well, and as she passed them, she got a warm smile and a thumbs-up from the group of four friends. Over her shoulder, near the back of the aisles of chairs, she saw a flash of purple, and knew Twilight was there as well.

After that, she only saw Octavia. The music ended as she drew up before her new wife, both of them looking as beautiful as they ever had. Rarity was dressed in white with red trim and purple lilies in her bouquet. Octavia wore her own stunning white dress with a long train and a net wound into her hair that glimmered with jewels of amber and diamond. The last note faded away, and shyly, the two women joined hands. Luna stepped forward above them, placing a hand on either of their shoulders as she spoke.

“We’ve come today to witness a miracle.” She began in a tone bold and strong. Rarity hardly even registered the kind fingers on her shoulder, or the proud figure of the lunar princess standing just to her left. The only thing she saw just then was Octavia. “Love takes many forms,” Luna continued. “From the humble and strong bonds of family to the fast-fleeting emotions of adolescent fantasy, all of us know love in one form or another. But every so often, love manifests itself in a form stronger than any of these combined.” Luna’s hands left both women’s shoulders and rested atop their own, slowly drawing the four joined hands up for the audience to see.

“The love between two people, whose lives began as complete strangers to one another, is a fickle thing. It can be as weak and frail as gossamer, or stronger than steel. For these two women before me today, the bond transcends even that.” Gently, Luna guided the both of them onto the altar. Now, the three of them were level with one another, their hands joined in the middle. Luna stood closer now, and her words were for the two of them alone. “To the two of you, I direct a simple question. After this moment, your marriage will be a sacred union in the eyes of the throne, and of all Equestria’s government. Do either of you enter into this union with doubt in your hearts?”

“I do not.”

“Nor do I.” Both of them answered with smiles on their lips. Luna’s own mirrored theirs before her voice lifted once more.

“To the congregation, I ask this: These two women stand before you as friends, family, co-workers, associates, and acquaintances. After today, they will be married, and no one here can deny them that. If anyone has any objection to this union, speak now or by the sun and the moon, hold your tongue.” Silence reigned. Luna let it last for a few moments before addressing Rarity.

“Miss Rarity, do you have your own vows?”

“I do.” Rarity blushed, glancing at Luna, who nodded her approval. Rarity took a breath to steady herself before raising her voice. “I came into Octavia’s life a broken person. I was exhausted, dogged, and jaded. My past was one of strife, and I hadn’t known peace for a long time.” Octavia’s hand tightened with hers, giving her courage. Rarity smiled at the stunning woman holding her hand. “Octavia showed me beauty once more. When I was working on her dresses, and spending the time with her that I had, it showed me that there were things in this world to hold dear. If I hadn’t met Octavia the night that I did, my life would still be much the same. Granted, that chance meeting came with its own fair amount of stress, but I sincerely believe we’re both better people for the trouble we’ve shared. It’s made us strong, and the bond between us all the stronger.” Rarity’s voice quavered for a brief moment. There were tears in her eyes then. She took another deep breath to steady herself, but her eyes never left Octavia’s.

“You’ve shown me the beauty in life again, Octavia. You’ve given me something to fight for, something to cherish, something I could never violate. In return, I hope to give you the same. With this vow, I give you my life. From now until they day I draw my last breath, I am yours. I love you, Octavia.”

There were tears in the cellist’s eyes. They glimmered for a few moments before spilling out, tracing twin trails down her cheeks. But her lips were curled in a giddy smile, and Rarity could almost hear her heart pounding from where she stood. No one spoke. No one even shifted their feet. In the silence of the hall, Rarity could have heard a pin drop. Octavia blinked away the last two tears before speaking herself.

“You were a ray of sunshine into a dark time of my life, Rarity. You came along in the most unlikely of places, during what was the most trying of times. Before you, I felt uninspired, almost dead inside. I was considering retiring. I had even thought about ending the pain… But there you were. It was almost out of a storybook. Like a breath of fresh air, you filled me again, with passion and exuberance. I was inspired. I could play again, and with more fervor than ever. Rarity, if I showed you beauty, then you showed me passion. With your help, I moved out of that rut and on to where we are now. I like where I am now. And I hope I can stay here for a long, long time.” Now it was Rarity’s turn to cry. Octavia’s warm smile stirred her heart, enough to make her knees go weak. If it weren’t for the two hands clasping her own, she might have collapsed there. Instead, she stood tall and strong as Octavia finished her vow.

“We’ve come through a lot to be standing here today, Rarity. And I wouldn’t put aside any of the challenges that landed us where we are. I’d do it all again, and again after that, if it meant I could see your smile at the end of the day. I want to keep making you smile, and to show you all the beauty this world has to offer. So before the sun and the moon, and everyone I hold dear, I swear to you. I will love you now and forever, until the day I die.”

Rarity heard the sighs of the crowd as Octavia finished her vows. Even Luna seemed to be smitten. The silence went on for a few moments, but Luna broke it with soft words. Her hands left theirs, and began to glow. The whole room seemed to dim for a moment as Princess Luna worked a bit of archaic and ancient magic. Rarity watched as two rings materialized before them, simple loops of silver-colored gold, inlaid with a moonstone and a diamond, side-by-side in harmony. The rings hovered forth, and both Rarity and Octavia raised their left hands. Luna spoke as she guided the matching rings onto their fingers.

“By the authority of Equestria’s citizens, and the powers of the sun and moon together, I hereby pronounce the two of you married. To seal the marriage, a kiss is required.”

Rarity had never tasted anything as sweet as Octavia’s lips. The cheers could be heard from a mile away.

The reception was an affair the likes of which no one had ever seen before. Rarity and Octavia descended the steps of Canterlot Castle to a rain of confetti and ribbons, with an escort of cheers that seemed to sweep both of them away. Hand-in-hand, the newly-weds waved and blew kisses to everyone they passed, and at the bottom of the stairs, they paused to turn and throw their bouquets over their shoulders. A cheer went up as Applejack caught Octavia’s bouquet, and she blushed as bright red as the apples her family was so famous for. Rarity’s bouquet was caught by none other than Sweetie Belle, whose own cheeks could have contended with the sun for brightness. On the way to the reception hall, though, Rarity could not spot the purple-haired magi. Twilight appeared to have vanished.

But after that, Rarity knew nothing but the endless stream of music, savory food, delicious champagne, and dancing. The castle’s greenhouse had been repurposed as a reception hall, and after crossing the dew-laden grass to the magnificent hall, the party had really started. Rarity and Octavia shared the first dance, swirling around the floor for the first half of the song, only to be joined for the last half by none other than Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. After that, Rarity had changed partners, and found herself dancing with Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy, Photo Finish (Who didn’t leave until she had a promise of wedding dress photos directly from Rarity herself,) Natalie Delacroix, Big Macintosh, and a host of other would-be suitors, socialites, and friends. Rarity even had the honor of dancing with Princess Celestia for half a song, and her sister for the other half.

Only when Rarity complained of blisters was she spared the dance floor, and Octavia joined her at the head table. An early dinner was served then, and the spread was nothing short of immaculate. Rarity ate to her heart’s content, and each time the guests clinked their champagne glasses with silverware, she and Octavia would share a kiss, much to the enjoyment of the guests. It went on for hours, but Rarity found none of it exhausting. She talked, laughed, danced, ate, drank, and socialized on and on. The day gave way to the evening, and the night was upon them shortly after. All of the dancing and activity had worn down to soft murmurs and softer ballads, played by Octavia’s own symphony-mates. They had agreed to provide all the music for the affair, for which Rarity had been eternally grateful. Octavia’s symphony-mates were not the stuck-up, stuffy sort Rarity had originally thought. They had played classic and contemporary pieces in equal measure, catering to a wide range of musical tastes.

But now, the music was dying down and people were saying their farewells. The princesses had excused themselves shortly after dinner had been finished, and now even Applejack and Rainbow Dash were saying good night. Pinkie Pie was still in attendance, and would work tirelessly until everything had been cleaned and concluded. Fluttershy had left sometime shortly after the dessert had been served. She was catching a late-night train back to Ponyville, to be there for her animals in the morning.

And now, it was time for the two brides to say good night as well. Rarity was exhausted by now, her eyes itching for sleep. Octavia was flagging as well, casting meaningful looks to Rarity, as if pleading for their return home. Rarity nodded sometime around ten at night, and they managed to slip away without attracting too much attention. They ran into Rainbow Dash at the door, who gave them one last hug.

“I won’t be seeing you guys for a while.” She said on the threshold.

“Why’s that?” Rarity was exhausted, but Rainbow Dash sounded like she was saying goodbye for the last time. The slender avian blushed and rubbed the back of her neck with a hand.

“I, uh… Kinda got accepted into the Wonderbolts. We’re starting our first tour tomorrow, in Cloudsdale.”

“Dash, that’s incredible!” Rarity bubbled and gave the avian another quick hug, her exhaustion forgot for just a moment.

“Yeah. I don’t really know how to feel about it… But hey! When the tour comes through Canterlot, I’ll make sure to get you two some really good seats! I promise!”

“Oh, most certainly! Why, I haven’t seen a wonderbolts show in… Ever, I think! I can’t wait!”

“Hehe. Well, I’ll let you two go. It was good seeing you again, Rares. And congratulations.” Rainbow Dash took Octavia’s hand in hers, smiling wide. “To both of you.”

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” Octavia blushed as Rainbow pressed a quick kiss to her fingers. “Any friend of Rarity’s is a friend of mine.”

“See ya around!” Dash spread her wings and took off into the night, leaving the two of them with a warm smile and a puff of cool night air. They watched her wing off into the starry night for a few moments before slipping into Octavia’s car and starting off into the night. Rarity almost nodded off on the short drive home, but Octavia was thankfully awake enough to see them safely into the parking garage. As Rarity stepped out, though, a chill passed over her.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

The shadows looked too deep, the lights not bright enough. Even as the car behind her locked and Octavia took her hand, Rarity felt on-edge. Octavia could feel her tenseness, her own face drawn down in a frown. Rarity gathered her skirts in one hand and picked up to a slow trot towards the elevators. Maybe it was her exhaustion, or maybe just the darkness of the parking garage beneath the apartment building, but Rarity didn’t feel right here.

There were eyes on them.

“Oh.” Octavia drew up as they turned the corner towards the elevator bank. Rarity herself stumbled to a halt, almost quick enough to fall.

Vinyl Scratch stood before them.

Rarity’s magic flared to life almost instantly. Dense and intense, she stepped in front of Octavia, her expression dark. Her heart pounded in her chest. She knew she couldn’t hold Vinyl off. She had too much raw power for Rarity to defend against, if it came to blows between them. Her panicked mind fluttered to and fro, trying to find an exit, some way to escape her.

But when Vinyl removed her hands form the pouch pocket of her hoodie, she spread them harmlessly. “Relax,” She said quietly. “I’m not here to cause trouble.” Rarity’s defenses lowered, but only a little. She still stood between Vinyl and Octavia, ready to do whatever she could to defend her wife. Octavia laid a hand on her shoulder, but still stood behind her. Rarity could hear it in the cellist’s voice. She was still terrified of Vinyl Scratch.

“What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to see you one more time.” Vinyl said meekly. Rarity noticed something, then. Vinyl looked very different. She was still a curvaceous beauty, but the way she held herself, the slump of her shoulders and the slackness in her posture… She was a different woman now. She looked tired. Defeated, almost. “And I came to tell you that I won’t be around anymore.”

“Wh… What do you mean?” Rarity asked guardedly. Vinyl shoved her hands back into the pouch pocket of her hoodie, looking at the floor in front of her feet.

“I’m leaving Equestria. I realize there’s no place for me here. Not anymore.”

“Vinyl…” Octavia finally emerged from behind Rarity, her voice fraught with hurt for the woman before them. Even Rarity had to admit, Octavia looked miserable. She was so sad… Rarity dropped her defenses at last, standing at Octavia’s side meekly. Before them, Vinyl began to weep.

“I can’t even cut it in Ponyville. All of Twilight’s friends hate me, and none of the people in the town like me at all. And honestly, I can’t blame them… I can’t control my anger. I’ve tried. Twilight’s tried to help me. But even she can’t do anything about this.” Vinyl pulled her hands out, looking down at her curled fists. Her tears landed on her wrists, then dripped down to the concrete beneath them. “I’m leaving Equestria and going to Saddle Arabia. Out there, it’ll just be me and my music. I won’t be able to hurt anyone out there. At least… No one that I care about.” Vinyl lifted her eyes to the newlyweds before her. Her bloodshot eyes dripped tears down her full cheeks, staining the collar of her hoodie.

Rarity could truly, honestly say that she felt sorry for her then. Twilight had violated her trust and lost her friends. But Vinyl had hurt everyone she ever cared about, and had lost everything. This was a woman who had no friends, lost or otherwise. The only thing Vinyl had was sadness.

“So this is good-bye.” Octavia’s voice quivered. Vinyl returned her hands to her pockets, even as the gentle glow of magic pulled the hood up over her eyes.

“Yeah. I’m leaving tonight. I just wanted to say good bye, and to see you one last time…” Vinyl half-turned away from them, but stopped to look back one more time, her eyes shrouded in shadow. But Rarity could see her lips. They curled upwards into a gentle smile. It was the last time Rarity ever saw Vinyl Scratch. And the last words she heard from her.

“You look good together.”

That night, Rarity slept with Octavia’s head on her breast. Octavia passed out almost immediately, her even breathing washing over Rarity’s naked skin. But sleep couldn’t find Rarity easily. She lay on her back, idly running her fingers through Octavia’s hair, staring up at the dark ceiling as her thoughts whirled about her head.

Twilight had failed. She had lost her friends in Ponyville, and she hadn’t been able to help Vinyl with her anger. The only thing the purple-haired magi seemed to have accomplished was to earn Rarity’s forgiveness, but in light of losing the other four, that must have seemed pretty dull by comparison. She had disappeared right after the ceremony had finished, and Rarity hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to her. No doubt she was on her way back to Ponyville and her studies of friendship by now. She might even be on the same night-time train that Fluttershy took. Rarity wondered if they had made amends, or if they were sitting on completely opposite ends from one another, as good as strangers.

Rarity’s thoughts began to wonder to her other friends. No doubt Pinkie Pie was wrapping up all of the day’s activities just now, and would probably be going to sleep sometime soon. She certainly needed it. Rumor had it she had been at the preparations since midnight, and now that it was past the turning of the new day, she would have been close to exhaustion. But aside from the one night, Rarity had heard that Pinkie Pie’s friends, the Cakes, had signed their business over to her. The bubbly woman had become the sole owner and operator of the new bakery, while the former owners had moved to Baltimare to open a new bakery. That kept Pinkie Pie busy enough, it seemed. And she appeared to be rather content with her new lot in life. Rarity was happy for her.

Octavia had been seen talking with Applejack during the reception. As it turned out, Applejack was a natural with the fiddle, and was interested in some lessons from Octavia. She had been willing to pay, but Octavia refused and said she would ‘do anything for a friend.’ That, along with the bouquet she still clutched, had turned her cheeks into twin furnaces for the rest of the evening. Rarity had stolen a few moments with the simple farmwoman to pry some details from her. She had a love interest in a strong-backed man from Ponyville who had been helping with their farm’s recent expansion. If tradition were to be believed, Applejack catching the bouquet meant she was going to marry next. Rarity teased her, asking for invitations to the wedding. Poor Applejack had receded into a meek, if happy silence.

But if tradition were to be believed, then Sweetie Belle was due to be married next as well. The last Rarity heard, Sweetie Belle had bid a final farewell to Scootaloo. It appeared as if the two childhood friends were done with one another, much to each other’s chagrin. Scootaloo was intent on moving to Manehattan, while Sweetie Belle had the rest of her education to consider. A direct scholarship from the throne itself wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Rarity was a little worried for her younger sister, but she had been all smiles at the reception, and held her bouquet the entire night.

But Rarity couldn’t stop her thoughts as they came back around to Vinyl… Why would she come to them? And why in the parking garage of all places? Did she really fear the ire of the princesses so much that couldn’t bid them a peaceful farewell at the reception? Looking back on the whole event, Rarity felt slightly sad but mostly relieved. When she first spotted the stocky DJ, Rarity had expected the worst. Instead, she had received a blessing of sorts.

You look good together.

“We do look good together.”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing, love. Go back to sleep.”

“Hmm. Not without a kiss.” Octavia looked up at her with sleepy eyes and a warm smile. Rarity returned the smile and leaned in for a gentle kiss. Afterwards, when Octavia nuzzled lovingly into her breast, Rarity was able to close her eyes. Sleep took her then; black, peaceful, and dreamless. No dream could surpass her life just then.

Probably because it was already perfect.