Today was the day, the day that Sunset Shimmer would officially be joined with another person for better or for worse for the rest of her life. She was giddy, she was nervous, she was sick, she was excited, she was everything all at once. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and her hands remained sweaty throughout the entire morning. This was it, the biggest moment of her life up to this point and when she placed her hands on her stomach she realized it would be followed soon by the next biggest moment of her life.

She could hardly believe that inside of her body was a child growing, a living, breathing creature. Something created entirely by two tiny cells uniting and her body growing them. Sunset never considered herself “remarkable” until she thought about how her body could grow an entire being, a unique person and bring them into the world. The ability to create life, that was something truly remarkable, even for a girl who could wield magic fire in her hands and dance with the dangers of evil sirens from alternate universes. Nothing compared to the excitement of this moment.

Within the next few hours, she would be someone’s wife, and someone would be her wife, and they were to have a family together. It all seemed very daunting at first, but Sunset was excited to see the direction her life would go after this.

Looking in the mirror of the dressing room she was in, she smiled at the short style dress she wore. It wasn’t very typical for a wedding, but Twilight and she both decided to wear a dress, but Twilight was to wear a more traditional bridal dress while Sunset would wear one that went down to her knees. She wanted to be more comfortable at her wedding, especially given that she was now pregnant. It was far from traditional, but then again nothing about their romance was.

From the moment the two girls got together they had been on a wild adventure, the ride of a lifetime. They had defeated the darkness within themselves together, they had saved Camp Everfree together, and they had even stopped a murderous siren together. Now, they were to be married and have a child together. While Sunset craved normality, she couldn’t deny that the hardships they had endured had made them closer.

She ran a hand along her stomach again and stopped as she thought out loud. “What kind of person will you be? Will you be like Twilight? Or me? Lord help us if you’re like me…” She stood in silence for a moment remembering the trouble she eventually caused when she came to be a teenager, vowing that she would protect her child from going down the same path.

“I guess a natural question is… Will you be a boy… Or a girl?” Sunset sat down in a chair that had been placed in the room for her as she asked.

It had never really occurred to her that the sex of her child would be one of two options until now. She didn’t really know what she was expecting. While a girl would be easier to go along with since she was one and therefore knew enough about them, she couldn’t deny that a boy would definitely change things up, though she knew next to nothing about boys.

Resting for a few moments, the woman sighed and grabbed a glass of water that she had left out on a nearby table and took a long sip. Holding the cup between both of her hands she leaned forward and sat there, her mind focusing on the wedding that was about to begin soon.

From now on she had to take care of Twilight. She had to make sure the girl had everything she needed and that she could want for nothing. With the money she had available to her that shouldn’t be too difficult at least for material things, however, that meant she needed to be emotionally put together for her new wife. In the past Twilight relied on her as a mentor, someone to show her the way. Now she would rely on her as a lover, someone to hold her hand as they walked the way together.

Sunset smiled at how far she had come. Her self confidence had grown so much in the past few years and it was thanks to people like Twilight who refused to give up on her. It was thanks to her friends who encouraged her to go as far as she could, to do what she never dreamed of doing. The thought of them all in the crowd waiting to watch her get married brought a tear to her eye which she wiped away promptly (though it could have just been hormones making her emotional).

Standing up, Sunset wandered over to the door and cracked it open, peeking out into the large crowd. All of her friends were scattered across the various pews. Rainbow Dash actually stuck out from the middle actually wearing a tuxedo that she was straightening the sleeves of as her wife, Fluttershy leaned over her to adjust her tie. She had tied her long hair back and even combed it to be as neat and tidy as she could while her wife was just as elegant as always.

Fluttershy had the advantage of looking adorable in just about anything she wore, a trait that many (especially Rarity) were especially envious of.

They made such a cute couple, even if they weren’t exactly the kind of people you’d imagine together. Rainbow was a super tough army girl, and Fluttershy a timid creature that was unable to hurt a fly, but Rainbow showed the same protective bravado in protecting Fluttershy as she did with anything else. It was endearing, and the two were clearly meant for each other. From their childhood beginnings, they were destined to end up a family.

Of course, right there in the front row was a pair who needed no introduction. A warm loving mother cradled a baby in her arms, rocking it back and forth gently as she sang lightly to the delicate creature. Long curled purple hair had been tied up into an elegant display that likely took hours and a can of hair spray to produce as lovely blue eyes (decorated with the most expensive and stylish makeup of course) looked down at her offspring with eyes of love and admiration.

Rarity had taken to motherhood naturally (as most knew she would), something that made Sunset hopeful toward her own prospects as a mom. Rarity was a natural, maybe she could be too.

Next to her in a tuxedo just like Rainbow Dash was a farmer that was seldom seen without her familiar stetson, but not only was she without it, her hair was braided nicely and looked to be neatly brushed and combed. It was perhaps the most put together that Sunset had ever seen their friend Applejack. Her green eyes focusing on her son and her wife, whom she only had eyes for. Just like Rainbow and Fluttershy, they were made for each other.

Pinkie of course was spotted near the back trying to locate any kind of food she could acquire. While her appetite would make one think she would be significantly heavier by now, her energy burned a lot of it off. She was a bit thicker than average, but she carried it so well that she was given a very nice figure, one that was curvy and seductive. Pinkie filled out in all the right places, and people definitely seemed to notice when she bent over to pick up something that she had dropped.

A group of men who were standing nearby all turned and watched in awe as she bent down, her dress accenting her bottom in just the right way to allow the imagination to run wild. Each of them leaving their mouths agape to form a perfect “o” shape.

Sunset rolled her eyes. Boys would be boys, and Pinkie would be Pinkie. She had gone off to university and thus left Canterlot some time ago, but she came back the moment she was sent an invitation. It was nice to see that even being away did not change Pinkie’s golden rule: never miss a party.

Retreating back to her seat, Sunset calmed herself and closed her eyes as she tried to keep her mind in the right place. She was making a big change, something that was going to do so much for her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a creaking in the door. She blinked her eyes open and looked toward the entrance to see a taller man in a tuxedo standing there with a smile. His large hand clasped around the door and a shining wedding ring on his finger.

He brushed a hand through his blue hair and smiled at Sunset as he entered the room properly and closed the door behind himself. “Hey, wanted to see how you were doing.”

Sunset blinked as she realized that this man would be her brother-in-law after today. She had never had a sibling before, let alone an older brother. Would Shining eventually become to her what he was to Twilight? Would he show the same level of protection and dedication? He had already shown how far he was willing to go to help Sunset before, but now they would be family.

“I’m doing alright… A little tired, but the pregnancy will do that…” She smiled.

Shining nodded. “I understand… You’ve been through a lot in the past few years, so I guess this normal life stuff must all be hitting you at once?”

She nodded back at him. “Yeah, I’m used to magic, adventures, fighting creatures who want to take over the world… But I have to say… Being married and becoming a mom is probably scarier than all of that… As cliched as that sounds...”

He gave a dismissive hand gesture as he pulled up a chair and sat in it backward, resting his arms over the back of the chair. “You got this. Being a parent gets easier as time goes on. You learn the tricks, you figure out what works, all that jazz.”

“I hope so… Thanks again for the donation…” Sunset smiled.

He chuckled. “Hey, you’re family now. I’ll do anything for you, Cadence as well. Don’t hesitate to ask, we want you to feel welcome.”

“You all have done so much for me… I don’t know what I do to deserve it, but I will try my best to prove that I am not taking any of it for granted…” Sunset gave a meek smile.

Reaching forward, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You can do that by taking care of Twilight, and this baby. I did my part, so now you just have to do yours.” He pointed to her stomach with that last part.

Sunset looked down at her own stomach and then back to Shining with a nod. “I’ll do my best…”

“Have you thought of any names yet?” Shining replied, changing the subject.

She shook her head. “Twilight and I decided we would do that when they were born, we wanted to go with what felt natural, you know?”

“Makes sense, we picked out Flurry’s name a good week or so before she was born, so I can’t say that I was prepared months in advance either…” He chuckled.

Shining was such a dad. He loved that little girl more than anything, he was always bragging about her and ready to share a story about his adorable daughter whenever the opportunity arose. Sunset hoped that she would be able to be that proud of her own daughter or son.

“You’re such a good father…” Sunset replied.

Shining gave a wink. “Cadence makes me that way. A dad is only as good as the mother that is backing him up and patching up his mistakes.”

It was adorable how Shining still saw Cadence as so much even after all these years. The nerdy chess club captain somehow bagged the head cheerleader and he was still in disbelief all these years later. Sunset hoped she would be as amazed down the road at her acquisition of Twilight, or at the very least that Twilight would be excited to be with Sunset down the road.

She felt his hand on her shoulder give a gentle squeeze. “You’re going to be an amazing mom, I know it. The things you’ve done just to protect Twilight and your friends… I know greatness when I see it…”

“As long as Twilight’s by my side… I’m sure you’re right…” Sunset smiled.

Shining nodded as he released her. “I’m sure she will be for many years to come. Marriage is a big step on the road to happiness, take it from a guy who has found so much happiness in such a short time.”

“Am I expected to start calling you my brother now?” Sunset smirked.

He laughed and shook his head. “Nah, I wouldn’t expect that out of you. We’re family, but we don’t have to make it awkward like that.”

There was a short pause between the two before Shining came to a stand and stretched. He adjusted his tie and smiled at his soon-to-be sister-in-law. “Well… I really should get back out there… Someone has to be the guy to hold the ring you’re giving to my sister, right?”

As he made a step toward the door, Sunset reached out and called back to him. “Shining…”

He turned and raised a brow. “Hm?”

“Thank you…” Sunset spoke softly.

He shrugged. “I get it, you couldn’t choose between your friends and went with the most logical choice for best man.”

“No… Not that…” Sunset shook her head.

“For what then?” He asked.

“For…” She bit her lip but managed to get her thought out. “You lied on my behalf… You falsified a police report to keep people from poking their nose in my direction…”

Shining paused, not knowing what to say at first. He knew what he had done was technically illegal, but he had made sure to make his report so believable that no one would poke their nose in it. Even if they did, there was nothing to find. Adagio’s remains were disposed of in another universe, there was no way for anyone to uncover them. Anyone who did uncover anything would just be labeled as a crazy conspiracy theorist. There wasn’t any way that people would believe a magical being from another universe came to their world to commit murder and then mysteriously vanished all the same.

“You could have gotten in huge trouble if you got caught… You could have lost your job... Or even went to prison.” Sunset reminded.

That much was true, but for some reason, Shining didn’t care. “It doesn’t matter… The trouble I would be in would be negligible compared to how much trouble it would have caused you had I put the truth down…”

“Why though?” Sunset asked.

He smiled back at her. “Sometimes… What is right and what is the truth do not always line up. I believe more in doing what’s right, even if that means the truth must be hidden from people for a time. A day will come when the world can learn what you are, but that day isn’t today.”

“Thank you, Shining… If it weren’t for you… I’d be in some kind of government lab by now…” Sunset replied.

“Don’t mention it… Now… I think you have to finish getting ready…” Shining winked before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Sunset didn’t know what it was like to have a brother, but she knew that Twilight was lucky to have her’s. If anything, Shining had shown that she could count on him as family.

A young Sunset Shimmer sat at her desk in her bedroom flipping through a book that was required reading for school. She had zipped through the other scheduled readings with relative ease and as a result, always found herself ahead of the class, but her parents always pressured her to excel even further.

The book was about a couple of young ponies whom despite their hardships decide to get married at a young age after one of them became pregnant. As a child, she didn’t quite understand the appeal, but the book more or less was preaching about how it’s important to try and do the right thing when a situation like that arose. Technically speaking the book may have been a few grades ahead of her, but she was that kind of student; one that was ready even for the next grade.

The story was relatively boring and didn’t particularly interest the filly, due to its nature. Romance wasn’t exactly the type of story that could keep a child ignorant to puberty connected for very long and Sunset Shimmer was no exception. She much preferred the kinds of stories where super intelligent heroes outwitted villains with superior cunningness and finesse.

Setting the book down, she leaned back in her chair and checked the clock in her bedroom, it was only 8:30 PM. She had gotten started right after she finished school and usually one Tuesdays it was a study night where she would go until 9:30 and then head to bed. Her parents stressed the importance of having one day a week where one did nothing but learn and work; Sunset didn’t quite understand it, but she went along with it, considering every other night of the week so long as her schoolwork was done, she could do whatever she pleased.

Many nights were spent going to the theatre before dark or hitting up the library to get some books that she actually enjoyed reading (over boring school mandated ones). Every now and then though she’d go to the ice cream parlor that was a few blocks from her house and indulge herself with one of her favorite treats. Even as a child she had a sweet tooth, but not exactly the biggest appetite.

Looking around her bedroom, Sunset noted the various bookshelves. Her parents gave her a decent allowance every week and often had no qualms with buying whatever she liked. It so happened that Sunset liked books, and thus two of the four walls in her bedroom were lined with nothing but books. She estimated that she read around eight hundred books in her lifetime already and the walls of her room had well over eight hundred lining them. There wasn’t a book in her bedroom that she hadn’t read at least once, if not a dozen times for a few.

Picking up a book from the shelf she smiled at it as she recalled it being written by one of her favorite authors, Tea Apples. An excellent writer who knew how to add just the right amount of humor to keep a story interesting while maintaining a serious atmosphere. A bit advanced for a girl as young as Sunset, but an excellent high fantasy author.

She flipped through the book happily, remembering her fond memories of when she had read it twice. After she had cleared her head of the novel she was currently reading for school, she sighed contently and slipped it back onto the shelf. Why couldn’t all school reading be that interesting? She recalled when she had to endure a reading program a few years back where she was simply too advanced of a reader to enjoy it. Her parents had assisted her in being opted out of it.

Her mind returned back to the book on her desk and she decided it was best to go and consult with someone who had more worldly experience, someone who likely understood the subject matter more. Coming to a stand, Sunset realized it was time to consult her mother.

Opening her bedroom door and exiting, the young filly gently trotted toward the kitchen where her mother was standing at a stove with a kettle trying to boil some water. Her attire was a bit more casual than her work outfit, but she was still adorned with a beautiful pearl necklace and matching pearl earrings that her father had bought for her. Long gorgeous mane draped over her, accenting her beauty further.

Sunset coughed to try and get her attention, which didn’t work at first so she had to do it a second time, causing the mare to flinch before looking down at her daughter. “Oh, Sunset, sweetie… What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be studying.”

Sunset nodded. “I am… I came to ask you a question actually…”

“Mommy is very busy, sweetie… What is it?” Her mother asked, not really paying too much attention as her eyes returned to her kettle, the mare was clearly more eager to drink some tea than to assist her daughter’s studies. A typical scenario for the Shimmer household.

“I was wondering… Why do ponies get married?” Sunset asked curiously.

The mare paused and then turned back to her daughter with a raised brow. “Married? Why do you ask?”

“This book, it’s basically about these two ponies that get married because one of them gets pregnant… We have to read it eventually for school and I wanted to know why ponies get married…” Sunset explained her plight.

Sunset’s mother stood there with a hoof on her chin as she tried to think of the best way to broach the subject to such a young girl who clearly would not understand a more complex answer. “Well… Sweetie…”

Sunset sat patiently waiting for her reply.

“When two ponies… Love each other very much… They decide to get married because it’s sort of like announcing that love to the world, or something like that. I’m not exactly sure to be perfectly honest… Many ponies get married for many different reasons…” She shrugged.

“Why did you and daddy get married?” Sunset asked.

Another difficult question. “I love your father. Marriage was just… Something we decided made sense…”

It wasn’t a lie. She did truly love her husband, even if they were at work all the time it seemed.

“Why do ponies have kids then?” Sunset asked.

Her mother chuckled and shook her head. “My my, aren’t we full of questions today…?”

“Well?” Sunset asked.

She had to come up with an answer quickly and that made sense to a little girl. “Well… Ponies have kids… To keep the species going. If we all stopped then having children there wouldn’t be any more ponies, right?”

“I… Guess so…” Sunset blinked, not expecting such a logical answer.

Her mother nodded and smiled before standing up straight. “Now… I think that’s enough quizzes for one day, don’t you? Why not go on back to your studies, alright?”

Sunset nodded and came to a stand herself before retreating back to her room where her studies awaited.

It was going to be a long evening, Sunset was certain of that. Peaking out of the room she was waiting in, she could see the crowd in the pews had grown significantly to the point where almost all of Twilight’s extended family, and their friends along with their friends’ families were there.

Sunset listened for whispers of conversations being had among the audience. Placing a hand on her geode, she closed her eyes and concentrated to see if she could use her powers to hear what was being said better. With a bit of clarity of the mind and concentration, thoughts and conversations amplified to the point of being able to be heard even from where she was standing.

A conversation from the front row came to her.

“What kind of woman is this Sunset Shimmer? I’ve never met her,” one said.

Another gave a reply. “I heard she was some kind of millionaire. Imagine that! Little Twilight Sparkle marrying into such a family! It’s like she’s a princess or something!”

Another part of the conversation came to her after. “Millionaire? That’s really something. I’m glad Twilight found someone who will take care of her, at least with money they won’t have to struggle.”

For once, Sunset actually wasn’t as uncomfortable with the amount of money she had acquired. Someone actually saw it as a good thing and believed it meant she might be in a better position to care for her soon-to-be wife. It brought her a little joy to know that fact.

“I heard she is an orphan. The sole survivor of some rich estate after her long lost twin sister and their parents were all murdered…”

That part stung a little. She missed Shimmer, and wished she were here to see her get married. Hell, she wished she could have lived long enough to marry Moondancer so that Sunset could be there when she did.

The old saying, however, rang true. Speak of the devil and he shall soon appear.

Coming in front of the door where Sunset stood, familiar eyes shielded by glasses appeared before Sunset blinked and took a step back so that the girl could enter. She had almost surprised Sunset from her sudden appearance, but Sunset calmed herself as the woman walked in.

Her hair was tidied up from its usual mess, and she was sporting a tuxedo. Odd for such a petite girl, but it somehow suited her. Moondancer was as usual as cute as a button and her freckled face had a bright smile, one that Sunset was glad to see. She hated all those times when she had to witness Moondancer being sad. Over the past year or so though, she had really picked herself up and turned it all around.

There was no doubt that the girl still missed Shimmer immensely, but she was put together again, she was in one piece and ready to push forward with her life. Maybe one day she would even find love again, but for now, she clearly was more focused on what was happening in the here and now in her life.

“It’s nice to see you again, Sunset.” She bowed gently.

“Likewise.” Sunset nodded.

After Moondancer completed her bow, she looked Sunset over, admiring her adorable dress. “You look amazing.”

Sunset laughed. “Thanks, you’re not too bad yourself. You’re like a proper gentleman!”

There was a short silence after Sunset’s laugh followed by Moondancer rolling her eyes. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to imply that you’re not a woman or anything…”

Moondancer didn’t seem offended in the slightest as a smile crept back onto her face and she dismissed the comment with the wave of her hand. “Eh, Shimmer always joked that I should have been born a guy, so it’s fine. I probably should have actually… It doesn’t matter though. Today is about you!”

Sunset wasn’t normally fond of becoming the center of attention, but given the circumstances, she knew she’d have no choice but to allow it.

“Fair enough… So, came to wish me luck?” Sunset asked.

Moondancer nodded. “Yeah, considering I figured you’d be nervous…”

Sunset nodded. “Thanks… In all honesty… I feel like this should be your wedding… Kind of feels weird that you and Shimmer didn’t get to… Well, you know… Yet I am…”

Moondancer nodded, her expression surprisingly didn’t turn south either. She remained her normal self and didn’t allow such a somber subject to dip her mood. “Yeah, I get what you mean. I mean… I’m glad that Shimmer wanted to marry me, I’m thankful that I meant so much to her because she meant so much to me as well… So I consider this sort of like honoring her by making sure you go through with this and it brings you all the happiness in the world.”

Sunset smiled at the sentiment. Moondancer clearly was a very selfless girl at times. “Thanks…”

“It is weird though… Knowing that she was with Adagio…” Moondancer pointed out.

That definitely was a subject that still perplexed Sunset to this day. Adagio and Shimmer, an item. It didn’t make sense and it annoyed her to no extent. How could Shimmer fall for a girl like that? A monster, no less.

“It definitely came as a shock to me, that’s for sure… Imagine my face when I found those photos and videos… The two apparently were very close at one point…” Sunset frowned.

Moondancer kept an expression of curiosity rather than anger. “Do you think they talked about getting married too?”

Sunset blinked. She had never considered that truthfully she never wanted to consider it. What were the odds that Adagio and Shimmer could have ended up a married couple? How drastically would that have changed the world they live in right now?

“I don’t know… I would say that I hope not, but… It’s not an easy thing to make assumptions about… I mean we all know that Adagio is a monster, a murderer and a heartless beast, but Shimmer… Probably legitimately felt like she was in love, she never saw the manipulator that Adagio was… I’m kind of torn on how I feel about that… Her feelings were probably legitimate, but Adagio no doubt was up to something the whole time… The thought of Shimmer getting used like that though… I don’t even want to think about it…” Sunset shook her head, dismissing all thoughts of the two together.

“Do you ever think… Maybe we’re wrong?” Moondancer asked.

That was something she was not expecting from Moondancer of all people. Her hatred for Adagio was greater than most, so to hear her question if they made the right choice in putting her down was something that perplexed Sunset.

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.

“Well, I mean… What if… She wasn’t up to anything? What if her feelings for Shimmer were genuine?” Moondancer proposed.

Originally that thought had crossed Sunset’s mind, but then she remembered that ultimately, Adagio was willing to murder Sunset to get her magic back which ultimately is what lead to Shimmer’s death. It was clear that her plan all along was to find a way to get her magic back, and there was little doubt in Sunset’s mind that Shimmer was to play some kind of role in that plan in the long term. Shimmer must have merely wised up long before that happened.

Unfortunately, both girls were dead and thus it was impossible to ask either. In a way it was sort of a tragic tale, both lovers meeting their end. At least it would be tragic if it weren’t for the fact that Adagio was a murderer who didn’t deserve Sunset’s sympathy.

“I thought about that, but don’t forget: her entire plan was to try and steal my magic from me… There’s no doubt that she was just using Shimmer…” Sunset reminded.

Moondancer frowned, not certain of how to feel about such a revelation, but shrugged nonetheless. “Either way… I hope Shimmer was at least happy when they were together… I hope Adagio didn’t hurt her…”

“Same… It’s bad enough that she killed her…” Sunset replied.

Moondancer shook her head and brought her smile back. “Look at us… This isn’t the time or place to talk about such things… It’s your wedding and we should be focused on happier conversation than this, right?”

Sunset concurred and dismissed all negative thoughts regarding Adagio from her mind. Instead, she focused on what Shimmer might be saying at a time like this. Knowing her, she probably would be crying to be at Sunset’s wedding, she was always a bit more emotional than Sunset and not just with anger either.

Moondancer smiled and offered a hug to Sunset which she came to a stand and took. After their quick embrace, Moondancer straightened herself out and gestured her head toward the door. “Well… I should get going… You have a woman to marry and I think I have a seat to take. Good luck, Sunset, not that you’ll need it.”

Sunset nodded as she watched the scrawny woman make her exit, noting how nice she looked in a tuxedo. Once she had made her complete exit, Sunset poked her head out the door once more and imagined Shimmer sitting there in the front row, a smile on her face as she watched her older sister get married.

Sunset’s imagination was even able to paint the dress the girl would have likely worn onto her. A long lavish gown of black silk and gold trimmings. Not inherently the most traditional thing for a wedding, but it suited her so well.

The girl’s long hair that was usually ponytailed was instead left down, draping over her beautifully as she sat with her hands in her lap and a tear in her eye as her sister was sworn to a life with Twilight Sparkle.

It seemed like such a real thing, like Shimmer was right there with them, but sadly she was not. If she was watching, it wasn’t in any kind of physical form. Shimmer was with Sunset in spirit and that is what mattered. She owed it to her little sister to make sure this was the best wedding ever.

Composing herself, she shut the door and took a deep breath. Checking her watch, she noticed she was due to be where she was needed within the next eight minutes. Grabbing a water bottle that had been left for her, she downed half of it, set it back down and straightened her dress. Once she was sure she was completely ready, she opened the door and stepped out, ready to take her spot in the ceremony.

Work had been extremely stressful that night, and despite normally not frequenting such places, Angel Song had found herself at a bar due to Starlight’s insistence. She stressed that it was important for the two to unwind, so there she sat with her friend who was sipping down a Long Island ice tea, while Angel had a much weaker drink in front of her that she hadn’t even touched yet.

Starlight took a long swig of her extremely potent beverage before eyeing her friend sitting there doing a lot of nothing. “Come on, drink up.”

“I… Don’t really do alcohol…” Angel admitted.

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Live a little.”

Angel sighed and picked up the glass and looked into it before taking a light sip of the beverage. It tasted more of coke than it did of alcohol, but she assumed it was intended that way.

“See, I’m making you grow up a little!” Starlight bragged proudly.

“Or maybe you’re just a bad influence…” Angel grinned.

Starlight rolled her eyes once more. “You have no sense of adventure sometimes… For a girl with magic powers, you’re boring at times.”

“Boring isn’t bad… Boring is safe…” Angel reminded with the glass still in her hand as she debated taking another sip or not.

“True… So, I did some digging around…” Starlight changed the subject.

“Oh?” Angel asked.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure there have been reports of people claiming to have seen stuff related to magic on the east coast… Nothing major, but some people I saw posting online mentioned a few things that seemed worth checking out…” Starlight said.

Angel blinked but sat up. “That… Does sound promising… But how are we going to get to the east coast? We’re a couple of California waitresses… There’s no way we could save that kind of money…”

“Slow process, but I figure we could get second jobs since it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea anyway… What do you say?” Starlight asked curiously.

While the pay for her job was low, Angel enjoyed her work. Doubling up with another job did sound stressful and thus meant she would need to be working twice as hard, but it would only be temporary, at least until they could figure out more about her powers.

She nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I guess we could do that… It would still be a while before we could afford to head to the east coast…”

Starlight nodded. “Yeah, I figured as much, but there is definitely reason to head out there. I’m sure the magical stuff isn’t going anywhere. We’ll make it into a little vacation when we head out.”

The concept of turning this “quest” into a vacation with her best friend did sound far more appealing to Angel, it might even be fun.

“Starlight… Do you think we’ll find an answer to all of this? To why I have these powers? To why I can do any of this?” Angel asked.

Starlight paused but then sipped from her glass and nodded. “Definitely. I think before all of this is over, we’ll understand why you have these powers and where they came from.”

Angel kept quiet for another second before looking down at her drink. She took another sip and closed her eyes for a moment. “What if… I can’t handle the answer as to why? I mean I’m not really the kind of person who can go about and save the world or something… Maybe I was given these powers by mistake…”

Starlight reached over and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Nonsense. You got this, Angel. I believe in you. Even if you’re expected to save the world or something… I know you can do it, and with me by your side cheering you on… You’ll be able to do anything.”

Angel smiled at her friend. “Thanks, Starlight, you’re the best.”

“It’s what friends are for, right?” Starlight winked.

Twilight took in a few breaths as Cadence helped her adjust her dress. “There we go… That should be good…” Cadence smiled.

Twilight nodded and smiled at herself in the mirror, realizing the effect had made her chest look impressively larger, though still no match to Sunset (or Applejack for that matter). Still, it was an improvement, she wanted to feel more feminine since she was the one in the traditional bride’s dress and Sunset had opted for something different. She hadn’t seen what her lover would look like just yet, but she knew that they had agreed to both wear dresses.

Cadence stood back and looked Twilight over before nodding. “You look amazing… Just as beautiful as I did at my wedding…”

Twilight actually still remembered her wedding, and she somewhat disagreed with that statement. Cadence was so radiant in her dress that Shining almost forgot how to talk at the altar when they asked him to repeat his vows. She could recall giggling at how flabbergasted he was upon seeing his bride.

“I wouldn’t go that far…” Twilight blushed.

Cadence shook her head in disagreement. “Nonsense, you’re gorgeous, Twilight. Sunset is very lucky. I know she’ll be as speechless as Shining was when we got married.”

While Twilight was having a hard time agreeing, she at least felt a small surge of confidence come from Cadence’s words. Sunset seemed to always be impressed by Twilight, even when Twilight was seldom impressed with herself.

“I still can’t believe we’re doing this… Getting married… Having a kid together… It’s so… Surreal…” Twilight commented.

Standing behind her and placing her hands on Twilight’s petite shoulders, Cadence looked at the two of them in the mirror in the room from behind Twilight. “It’s going to be daunting at first, but you’ll get the hang of it in no time. Before you know it, you won’t be able to imagine your life any other way, trust me.”

Twilight was finding it difficult to doubt that already, as so far ever since she and Sunset became a couple, she could not imagine them not being together. She had gotten insanely nervous when it seemed like Sunset was getting cold feet, but found herself calming down when she saw how far the woman was willing to go to stay dedicated.

The thought of her soon-to-be-wife being an alien from another universe was pushed into the far back of her mind, locked away as something she didn’t even want to think about. Sunset may have not been human in a technical sense, but she was just as human as anyone else when she lived in this world.

Twilight remembered how Sunset said she was giving up Equestria to stay faithful to the world the two of them lived in. She was dedicating her life from here on out to Twilight as her wife and their unborn child. At first, Twilight felt the girl may have been just being overly dramatic to prove a point, but the more time that passed, it became clear that Sunset was dead serious, Twilight could see it in her eyes. While their child was not born yet, it was clear that Sunset would do anything for it.

It had occurred to Twilight that she was very lucky. Someone like Sunset wasn’t easy to find for most people, and what was more amazing is that with her unique powers and abilities she could protect Twilight and their new family more than an ordinary person. Instead of being nervous about marrying an alien from another world, Twilight was excited. She was excited about what this would mean for her life.

“I’m really happy that this all came together… I am so glad to be with Sunset…” Twilight smiled.

Cadence nodded as she released Twilight from her grip. “You two are going to be amazing together, I just know it. When you walk down that aisle and say ‘I do’, it’s going to change your life forever…”

With her sister-in-law’s reassurance, Twilight was ready. She was ready to begin the first day of the rest of her life. She was ready to go on the biggest life-changing journey she had ever embarked on. College had felt daunting at first, and a relationship had felt overwhelming when she had first gotten into it, and even the idea of being a parent seemed so far out of her comfort zone, but Twilight somehow was ready. Against all odds, Twilight Sparkle was ready to become Twilight Shimmer.

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled at the person looking back at her. She was young and pretty, and Twilight could actually see that for a change. She could see the person that Sunset saw when the redhead looked at her. She could see the beautiful woman that she had become despite her awkwardness and negative self-image. It was her wedding day and she couldn’t see a thing out of place. Tonight was going to be perfect.

Standing at the altar, Sunset took a deep breath and opened her eyes. There she was, waiting for the most important ceremony of her entire life to begin. There she stood in her short dress coming just above her knees, white in color to match her bride-to-be’s but not as exuberant as to not take attention away from Twilight. While she had offered to wear a tuxedo, Twilight insisted that Sunset looked too good in a dress to pass up on one. Their compromise definitely left a lot of people confused, but it was their wedding after all.

Sunset heard the gentle whisper of Shining Armor come from near her causing her to turn to his direction. He gave her a thumbs up to reassure her, causing her to nod and stand up straight as she waited for the music to begin.

All the chatter in the building stopped as the sound of wedding music began and everyone adjusted in their seats preparing for the event to begin, many with tissues at the ready (such as Rarity) and others with their minds likely on the day they got married themselves.

The moment that music began to play, Sunset found her eyes glued to the entrance to the room as soft footsteps accompanied by larger ones could be heard. There, at the entranceway, a middle-aged man stood with his daughter, arms looped as he walked her toward the aisle that had been set up for her.

Twilight looked absolutely radiant, immaculate and stunning. Her long dress was definitely out of the ordinary for her, but her femininity shined brightly as she stood in such an impressive gown (that Rarity had assisted heavily in creating, after much insistence). Rarity’s craftsmanship showed as it accented every feature about Twilight so wonderfully.

Her hands were dressed in lacy fingerless white sleeves that went up to her elbow and her eyes with the appropriate makeup practically sparkled from behind the thin veil over her face.

Her hair had been done up in a very tidy and unique bun, held together with two sticks which reminded Sunset of when they first met and Twilight insisted on keeping her hair in a bun.

Her father walked along with her making each step meticulous and slow as they approached Sunset where her father released his daughter and gave a nod to Sunset before turning to the pews to join his own wife.

Twilight straightened her stance as she smiled at Sunset. “How do I look?” She whispered.

Sunset smiled back at her. “Better than ever…”

“You’re not so bad yourself…” Twilight replied with a blush before they both fell silent as the minister cleared his throat to get the ceremony started.

“Ahem!” He began.

The entire room fell silent and the music came to an abrupt end. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of these two women in holy matrimony.”

Sunset kept quiet and stared into Twilight’s eyes as she took the girl’s small hands into her own. The entire experience felt surreal.

“If there is anyone here who has a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace…” The minister continued, his voice speaking from many ceremonies of experience under his belt.

As expected, the room remained silent, though a part of Sunset suspected someone would have spoken up. He rambled on for a few moments about the beauty of marriage and how it was a wonderful thing.

The minister cleared his throat once again. “Now then… Do you, Sunset Rise Shimmer, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish and hold dear, till death do you part?”

Sunset blushed as she looked at Twilight and nodded as she spoke in a soft tone. “I do…”

The minister nodded as well and looked back down to the book in his hands as he recited the next part of the ceremony.

“Do you, Twilight Star Sparkle, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish and hold dear, till death do you part?” He asked.

Twilight didn’t even hesitate as tears welled up in her eyes. “I do.”

Nodding, the minister looked over to Shining Armor who stood at Sunset’s side. “The ring, please?” The minister asked.

Shining perked up and nodded and turned to Sunset, presenting the ring. Sunset opened the box and stared for a moment at the white gold ring before removing it gently and taking Twilight’s hand waiting to be instructed. After she was told what to say, she nodded and looked into Twilight’s eyes as she repeated it.

“This ring, like my love for you has no end… With it, I declare my love for you and take you as my wife, my partner and my soulmate…” Sunset repeated.

Twilight could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks now as she felt the ring slide onto her finger flawlessly. Sunset held the girl’s hand for a few extra seconds before allowing it to fall gently in front of Twilight.

The minister cleared his throat once more. “Twilight has said she wishes to say something on her own behalf before we go any further.”

Sunset blinked, this was certainly unexpected.

“Twilight, you may speak.” The minister bowed gently.

Twilight nodded and reached into the sleeve of her glove to retrieve a piece of paper that had been folded up neatly. Sunset just stared in confusion, not sure of what was about to transpire.

Once the bookworm unfolded the paper, she cleared her throat and began to speak up so all could hear her. “Sunset…” She began.

Sunset braced herself.

“We have been through so much together… You have done so much for me and risked so much for us to be together. I know that you are far from a typical person and you always fear that our differences will drive us apart…” Twilight read.

Sunset felt a bit guilty at that line, but kept quiet.

“Those differences, however, are what brought us together. From the day we met, I knew you were special… I know you're something out of the ordinary, and it only made me want to be with you more and more with each passing day… And now, we are about to embark on our biggest journey yet… Starting a family together…” Twilight paused as she wiped her eyes.

“However, as always… With you by my side, I’m not scared. I’m actually excited… Excited to see what rewards our journey will net… However, part of me feels like… The best part is already here…” She smiled as she tossed the note aside and looked at her lover.

Sunset mouthed an “I love you” as she held back tears of her own.

The minister smiled himself and gestured with his hands. “By the power invested in me by the state of Maryland, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may now, of course, kiss the bride.”

“I thought you’d never ask…” Sunset nodded as she reached forward and removed the veil protecting Twilight’s face. Without a moment’s hesitation, she cupped an arm around Twilight’s back and planted a kiss on her lips, sealing the deal.

It finally happened! 70 chapters leading up to this!

Also, I know the minister's words are a mixture of multiple different wedding ceremonies, but I wanted it to be a non-religious wedding for them and I could barely remember the exact words said at my own wedding.

Marriage in stories is often more romantic than it is in real life these days anyway. I got married at a civil ceremony, but I didn't have boatloads of cash like Sunset does. She probably has those folded napkins and whatnot at her reception.

Also, you been bamboozled by Moon and Spike.