Names. Some people believed they held meaning beyond being the primary method to get someone's attention. Some even believed names influenced people's lives, guiding them into fulfilling the name's meaning. Sunset Shimmer didn't believe in any of that nonsense. It was mere coincidence that her true love's name was a near synonym for her own.

“How could we have missed this?!” Twilight Sparkle panicked. There was no buttering up the term. She was simply panicked. She only adjusted her glasses so many times when she was deeply worried. The fact that she had put them on in the first place without needing them was testament enough to that.

The obsessive bookworm was pacing back and forth rapidly in the church's back room. Thankfully for Sunset Shimmer, they were alone for the moment. It was usually easier to calm Twilight down when they were alone because Sunset could force her fiancée to focus only on her. Of course, Sunset was as calm as she had ever been.

Arms folded, one eyebrow raised, and legs crossed on the room's only sofa, the once-bully-now-peace-advocate took a deep breath. Why did everyone else have to lose their cool when she didn't? It used to be the other way around.

“We have to figure this out before the rehearsal in fifteen minutes! How can we have a serious multiple-presentation discussion about something as important as our surnames in less than fifteen minutes?!”

“Simple,” Sunset's carefree tone was like a light in the darkness. “We don't have a rehearsal.”

“What?!” Twilight raised her panic to roof-level extremes. “No rehearsal?!”

Sunset got up from her seat while Twilight's eyes dilated and her breathing became short and ragged. Having been friends for a long time and then fiancées meant that Sunset had a solid grasp of how to deal with her love's little episodes. This time, however, she scrapped known solutions and went right for the gold.

Twilight was forced to switch her focus from her panic attack to her future wife's lips, which had just collided with hers. Sunset was slightly taller, so she had to wrap her arms around Twilight and lift her up a bit for the kiss to work. The plan succeeded, though. Twilight's rigid form relaxed as she melted into the other girl's loving embrace. Their current privacy only encouraged Sunset to turn up the kiss from chaste and reserved to fiery and passionate.

Neither of them had dressed in their wedding gowns for the rehearsal, so Twilight was sporting a knee-length purple skirt with a dark blue blouse accented in just the right way to blend nicely with the rest of her attire. Her plain black flats did little to help her height difference with Sunset, who often opted for her signature purple-crested black boots. Those same boots had a decent amount of space on the heels, which gave Sunset nearly half her current height advantage over Twilight.

Their kiss had yet to end. Sunset was pressing into Twilight with an almost mad heat. The bookworm began to bend backwards as Sunset leaned over her and rubbed her back in a soothing motion. When they finally parted, it was with gasps of breath and flushed faces.

“What was that for?” Twilight panted.

“You forgot how much I love you,” Sunset smirked from her position above.

The blue-haired girl gently pushed Sunset back so they were standing straight again. “Love and lust are two different and distinct things,” she remarked with the air of an intellectual.

Sunset leaned around to her fiancée's ear and whispered in a hot breath. “But lust is simply the passion of love.”

Twilight might have tried for some kind of argument if Sunset hadn't started nibbling on her ear. To that, she simply responded with her unique combination of a giggle and a moan. It helped fuel Sunset's drive for intimacy, of which there was no lack thereof.

“Rarity's in the next room,” Twilight mumbled almost incoherently after a few moments.

“If she walks in,” Sunset snickered as she moved back to look at her fiancée, “it won't be the first time.”

“Indeed,” a deadpan voice made them both jump in shock.

The two girls turned towards the exit across the room and found Rarity in the doorway. She was smacking a rolled up stack of papers against her other hand and her expression was completely unimpressed. As usual, she was dressed in an elegant white dress and heels. Her hair was in its flawless signature waves and curls, further testament to how close she paid attention to detail.

“If you want to practice kissing the bride,” Rarity continued in her dead tone, “you might want to rehearse it before the altar. You also might want to try using less tongue.”

Twilight's face burned as red as a hot iron, though Sunset was less fazed.

“Hey,” Sunset defended herself with a smirk, “my hands were on the outside of her clothing.”

Rarity smacked a palm to her face and then motioned with the paper roll for the girls to come out of the room. “I cannot leave you two alone for a minute,” she grumbled to herself and then spoke up to order them about. “Come. I need your decisions on the wedding cake.”

Twilight was first out the door, anxious to put herself in a less embarrassing situation.

“I thought that was Pinkie's business,” Sunset talked to Rarity as she followed her into the church's large primary room.

The space was huge, a good three stories of open air above their heads and large stained glass windows in columns on either side of the room. They let in a generous amount of patterned light since it was midday. It was a modern church, which meant that the more traditional pews were absent in favor of stackable chairs lined at the sides. They had been put up for now so that the floor could be cleaned later that night.

“It is,” Rarity answered. She watched Twilight squeal in delight at the table that supported their wedding cake's design mock-up. “But she is currently articulating the triple level structure. You have decided that much, but neither of you settled on an actual flavor.”

“The outside icing has to be white,” Sunset insisted and stood next to her fiancée at the table. The massive three-level mock-up was impressive even for Pinkie's sometimes childish arts and crafts talent.

“The decorations are going to be purple and red in alternating fashion,” Twilight smiled in excitement, waving her finger around the cake to emphasize her point.

“Yes, yes,” Rarity sighed, having heard it many times before. “The flavor, though. Do not tell me you are actually considering Pinkie's suggestion for it to be funfetti.”

Both Sunset and Twilight faced Rarity and spoke simultaneously. “What other flavor is rainbow colored?”

Rarity wanted to smack her forehead again but refrained in the interest of preventing a red welt there by the end of the day. “Does it have to be a rainbow on the inside? Do not tell me you are doing this just to convince Rainbow Dash to wear a dress for the wedding.”

“That's the second time you've said 'do not tell me,'” Sunset remarked.

“Well, fine then,” Rarity huffed. “If you want to be a five year old about this then have your rainbow cake for all I care!”

“I like rainbows...” Twilight nearly whispered as she twiddled her thumbs and looked sadly at the floor.

“You'll have one, I promise,” Sunset hugged her girl from the side and gave Rarity a glare. “What's got you so short, Rarity?”

The fashionista's lips quivered and she shifted on her heels. It was obvious she didn't want to give the reason. To her credit, she did. “Maybe I'm just a little jealous and upset and....argh!”

“What is it?” Twilight peered around Sunset to give her friend a compassionate expression.

Rarity smacked the paper roll from one hand to the other. “Not one but two of my friends are getting married before me!”

“You're nervous,” Shining Armor stated the obvious to a Sunset Shimmer that didn't seem all herself.

“Shut up,” she grouched. “Why'd you have to be Best Man? I wanted Fluttershy to be Best Woman.”

“Because you do whatever Twilight tells you to,” the married man smirked back as they walked along. He knew Sunset hated it when he did that, which was why he went for it.

The two of them were taking a stroll on the sidewalks near the church. Twilight and the rest of the gang were at the church, talking about the final details of the walk to the altar. Sunset's role had already been finalized and Rarity had booted her out on the age-old superstition regarding pre-marriage spouses having interaction before the ceremony. Or something like that. Sunset suspected Rarity had simply had her fill of her for the day.

“Why'd I get stuck with you?” the redhead frowned and crossed her arms. For a day in June, there was an unusually cool chill in the air. The weather forecast had said it was supposed to be sunny and hot. Instead, it was cloudy and cool.

“You're not trying to hold to the hate-the-in-laws cliché are you?” he nudged her in the side playfully.

“How does Cadance put up with you?” Sunset asked another question to the otherwise quiet air around them. There wasn't a whole lot of traffic on the side of the city they were walking along.

“Same way my sister puts up with you,” he emphasized his point. “Love.”

Sunset had to take a cautious step to prevent her black boots from catching on a chipped part of the sidewalk they walked over. “It was going to be a traditional setup,” she changed the subject. “Then Applejack had to go open her mouth and suggest a double walk. Twilight won't even be in the room to see it. Why do I care? I didn't ask for more ceremony!”

“Eager?” the future brother-in-law finally changed his tone to a gentle and caring one.

“Yeah,” Sunset relented with a sigh. She hated to admit when she was nervous or anxious. Soon this whole wedding ordeal would be over and she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

“I was the same way,” Shining smiled in that almost sad reminiscent way. “My biggest fear was messing it up not for me but for Cadance. She was all I cared about.”

“Still is, I hope,” Sunset smirked and took her chance to nudge him back.

He laughed at that. “Oh, yeah. More so than ever.”

They walked on for a good while, not really meaning to go one way or another. They passed a few fast food restaurants and small businesses before arriving at a park. There was nothing particularly special about it. Plenty of grass and shady trees bathed the scenery with green. Park tables and a swing set were at one side. For some reason, as they were walking across a large empty expanse of plush grass, Sunset had a serious reflection.

“Is it right?” she asked. It wasn't a question that was obviously directed at Shining Armor. Sunset had seemed only to ask the wind. Still, he responded to it.

“Is what right?”

“Me and her,” she bit her bottom lip and stared up at the cloudy sky. “I'm from a different world. A unicorn.”

They all knew the facts. There had never been any hiding it from the especially inquisitive Twilight from the human world. That the non-pony Twilight had reasoned it out to a logical “yes” was good enough for her big brother. He thought to give his two cents anyhow, given Sunset's apparent need for confirmation.

“Ponies from your world,” he began in a calm mood, “turn into humans when they come here. The reverse is also true as I understand it. Taking that into consideration, I don't see any issue with it.”

“One is equal to the other, huh?” Sunset lowered her gaze to the grass.

The Best Man put an arm around Sunset's shoulder in encouragement. “I bet I'm a real hunk in the pony world.”

Sunset tried not to choke on her laughter. It was moments like this that reminded her why she knew she wouldn't hate her in-laws. Somehow, they always made her feel a little bit less gloomy.

"So did you two settle on the names?" he skillfully changed topics.

The redhead rolled her eyes. "I managed to make her forget about it for now. We'll settle it with the official documents. She won't be a Sparkle anymore."

Instead of looking shocked, Shining Armor bit back a chuckle and failed to hide a sleazy grin. "Twilight Shimmer, huh? You've always been a little possessive with my sister, but using your surname as a form of subjugation is pretty bold. Not that I have any problem with it. You've always treated her right. Tying the knot will help justify all those times I heard you two fooling around when you thought I was asleep or gone."

The girl's words caught in her throat. He had read her like an open book. The last part was especially embarrassing, but she fought to keep a reaction from showing. That's what he wanted out of her. Cadance's playful teasing had rubbed off on him. All she had to do was deny him a flushed face and a blabbering and incoherent response.

She failed.

The moment had come. The music was playing. Traditional piano wedding tunes were executed by a rather talented and well dressed Rarity, who smiled like there was no tomorrow. Apparently, she was pleased with the end result of all their planning. Or perhaps it was the magnificent wedding dresses that she had crafted for the new couple.

Sunset Shimmer was wearing a white wedding dress with gold and red accents that billowed below the waist. The trim trailed so well that it looked like someone had taken a picture and touched it up digitally. No curve on Sunset's body was wasted save for the hips and legs that were hidden by the flow of the many layers of the dress. For the most part, it was at a level of perfection that even Twilight would be content with.

There she stood at the altar. Sunset Shimmer had been first to walk up to it and now awaited her special someone to follow in her footsteps. Twilight had won the argument regarding which of them should walk to the altar first. Twilight always won their arguments when Sunset's distractions failed, but that may have been because she knew just how to twist Sunset's arm. It usually involved some kind of intimate activity.

The redhead felt her eyes water when she was at the church's dark wood altar. The priest was standing beside her, a look on his face indicating that this had to be the ten thousandth marriage he had performed. Still, he smiled and was secretly impressed with the number of people currently packed into his chapel.

The place was not exactly big, but it was not small either. Rather, it was precisely the kind of respectable church one would expect Twilight to want for their wedding. The stained glass windows were tall and a tad more reserved, but that was to be expected. The building was modern. What light did not filter in naturally through the windows was shone down by overhead lights matching the rest of the illumination.

Sunset looked down to the bouquet of flowers she was holding. They were purple in hue. Truly, every detail of their ceremony had been planned out with or without the support of tradition. Some of that was Sunset's influence. She wanted a wedding that was their own – not some textbook rehash. Thankfully, Twilight agreed with her on that point.

The room had a million sensations pulsing through it and just as much to look at. The music. The smell of wedding cake waiting in the next room. The hundred bodies packed into the rows of chairs. The intricate dresses worn by the bridesmaids: Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. The deep blue carpet that led from the door to the altar.

The anticipation.

Sunset was starting to wonder where Twilight was when the girl finally walked through the doors. The redhead's heart went to her throat to see her bride approach her from the other side of the room. Every stride was as beautiful as Twilight's white wedding dress. It was decorated with purple, blue, and pink trim in the same fashion that Sunset's dress matched her own colors. More than any of that, Twilight herself was the greatest thing of beauty.

There was little certainty of what it was that caused the next thought. Was it the raised note from Rarity's piano playing? Was it the minute stumble that Twilight almost made but caught herself before? Or perhaps it was the less pure section of Sunset's mind. In that moment, her heart mixed all of the adrenaline with raw desire.

Twilight Sparkle was now hers. All hers.

No, she thought to herself. Not yet. Sunset needed to focus on their ceremony. There would be time enough for intimacy during their honeymoon. Though she didn't know it just then, Twilight's near stumble was caused by the very same reason. Seeing Sunset all prepared at the altar was enough to make Twilight weak in the knees. Their relationship had been going on for well over a year now, but it was only just about to truly begin.

The two Sparkle parents were crying at this point. They had done so when Shining Armor had gotten married and they hadn't toughened up in the least since then. Cadance and Shining Armor were seated beside them, also teary. Twilight's brother would never admit to it, though. He only ever referred to his tears as “liquid pride.”

In-laws. That's what they would be to Sunset after today. Unlike the situation some spouses found themselves in, Sunset had no dislike of Twilight's family and was glad to have them. They didn't hound her endlessly and were always supportive, save for the occasional teasing from Cadance. It was all in good humor, though.

The only empty seats in the chapel were near the back. Sunset tightened her grip on the beautiful bouquet of purple flowers and tried not to think of the two ponies that weren't in the room. Her parents. She couldn't think of them, nor anypony else in that world beyond the portal. This was her new Equestria and she was about to marry the girl of her dreams.

The priest leaned over and whispered into her ear. “Want me to drone the whole thing or just skip to the fun part?”

Sunset failed to keep a grin from overtaking her pure smile. Whether it was because the priest was younger or more modern, he had a casualness to him that she liked. She had a feeling that was part of the reason the Sparkles had recommended him. Apparently, he had wed Shining Armor and his wife.

“Stick to the plan,” she whispered back just before Twilight took the final steps up to the altar. It didn't take long because the platform they were standing on was only raised by three shallow steps.

The music had reached its crescendo and Rarity finished the final note. A half-shout erupted from Pinkie Pie in the front row before Rainbow Dash managed to clasp a hand over her mouth. The sporty girl gave an apologetic look. Pinkie's enthusiasm often led her to shout “woohoo” even when the moment was entirely wrong for it.

The priest cleared his throat. “We are gathered here today...”