Jack adjusted the bow tie on his tuxedo, glancing down at the suit with a small smile. He had always ben against the idea of wearing these things, especially since his run in with those gang members who had tried to trick him into helping them steal a rare jewel. If he had it his way, he would have worn the same wedding outfit his father had worn, passed on to him from father to son. But seeing as that suit had long since been destroyed, and this tuxedo was a gift from Rarity, he did not mind wearing it.

For the fifth time in just as many minutes, Jack turned and looked over the crowd of ponies that had gathered for today, who were all chattering with one another from their seats. Twilight and the other Ambassadors, the princesses of Equestria and some of the folk from Ponyville made up the right hoof side of the seats. The left hoof side belonged to Applejack’s family, all one hundred and thirty members of them, who had swarmed in from all across Equestria to be here for her.

His eyes rested on Granny Smith, Applebloom and Big Macintosh in the front seats, each of their faces telling Jack how they were feeling. Granny Smith beamed with pride as she talked, smiling the widest Jack had ever seen her. Applebloom bounced with excitement, constantly waving to her friends on the other side of the seats. Jack figured Granny had forced her to sit with them. And then there was Big Mac, who was trying, and failing, to keep his tears in. Yet the joy in all of their faces was as clear as the sun overhead. Their joy, in turn, brought Jack joy.

Beside Jack Spike grumbled and started to yank on his own bow tie, getting Jack to smile at the dragon. Spike was Jack’s best man for the wedding, simply because he had asked Jack to be. That and the only other person that Jack would trust to be his best man was on Jack’s world. On Earth. Spike was a fine replacement.

Jack glanced over at the other side of the alter, where Applejack’s single bridesmaid stood. She had introduced herself as Rara to Jack and was Applejack’s oldest friend. A smile crossed Jack’s face as he remembered how Rara had been chosen. The other five Ambassadors had gotten into quite the competition to decide who would get to be Applejack’s number one bridesmaid. It had gotten so bad that Applejack had decided to just allow Rara to be there. The others were confined to their seats.

Yet in the back of Jack’s mind, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry. He had been in this place before. Not on an altar, but in the mindset that things were going to work out, that his suffering was finally at an end and that he would have the peace and happiness that he had longed for. He would have the family that he so desperately wanted. And then Aku would ruin it all. Hence the reason, despite everypony else’s protests, he still wore his sword, even at his wedding.

“Nervous?” Rara asked Jack, reading the look on Jack’s face.

“Yes,” Jack admitted.

“Don’t be. Everything is going to be fine,” Rara smiled. “I’ve known Applejack a long time and I’ve never seen her this happy or excited before. She’s always been one to forgo love and romance in favor of helping her family and others. For all of us to be here today to celebrate her wedding shows just how much you mean to her. Just do me a favor and make her happy.”

“That is all I wish to do,” Jack replied.

The two ceased talking as Celestia rose from her seat and walked up to the altar, nodding to Rara before smiling at Jack. The princess of the sun took her space on the head of the altar, where she would officiate the wedding. For a moment she stood regal and poised, before a smile crossed her face and she glanced at Jack with excited eyes.

“I am so excited Jack. This will be the five hundredth wedding I’ve officiated and the first since Shining Armor’s. I am so excited!” Celestia squeed.

“And not a changeling to be seen. Glad to see this wedding is off to a better start,” Spike chimed in. Celestia cast him a look and Spike stuck his tongue out at her, getting Celestia to chuckle.

“Yes, we have taken a great deal more precautions for this wedding. Spells to check for shapeshifters and mind control. Competent guards on every corner and Discord making sure that things that might cause chaos don’t. I am not letting another wedding get ruined on my watch.”

“I appreciate your efforts and am grateful to you,” Jack said with a bow.

“And I am still grateful about your warnings of Aku,” Celestia replied. At the mere mention of the demon’s name, a chill blew through the area and caused all to shiver. All except Jack. “To think there is such a force of evil and destruction out there that we had no clue about. If not for your warning about him, I would have never considered to put a magical barrier around our reality. It may have drained us four alicorns for weeks, but now our world is safe should Aku try to invade it. I do not wish to think what that would look like.”

“It would not be anything good,” Jack said in a knowing tone. None of them remembered. None of them remembered when Jack first appeared in Equestria, when a wizard who worked for Aku brought him there so he would be trapped. He met Applejack, saved a great deal of ponies and almost found peace, until Aku appeared to take it from him once more. Only by making a deal with Libra, the god of balance, to undo all that had happened since his arrival, could Jack save those who lived here. To save the one he loved. Had it not been for the silver man, Jack would have continued to wander Earth, with no memory of what he had lost. He wondered what had become of the silver man? He would thank him the next time they met.

“There she is,” Rara whispered. Jack shook himself free of his thoughts and gazed toward the end of the aisle, only for his eyes to widen in amazement when he gazed upon the orange mare. Jack had seen caverns of crystals, seas of gold and silver, and even the very stars swirl around him. All of it paled in comparison to the beauty of the mare that was walking down the aisle towards him. Her blond hair was pulled back into an intricately woven ponytail. Her dress was of the most perfect white, silently moving with Applejack as if it were apart of her. And then there were her eyes, which, despite the veil on her face, burned with pride and happiness with such an intense, green blaze that Jack knew if he looked to long into them he would be consumed.

Jack was happy to see that she had decided to wear the wedding dress. When they had been planning their wedding, Applejack had insisted on wearing a wedding kimono, so that she could truly be a part of Jack’s culture and life. While he hadn’t been against the idea, he didn’t want her to forgo her Equestrian traditions purely for him. The two had discussed which they would do for a while, until Granny Smith found and restored the wedding dress Applejack’s mother had worn. After a tear-filled look through her parents wedding album, Applejack never mentioned the kimono again and Jack was perfectly fine with that. Both of their parents were gone, but with Applejack’s dress and his sword, he felt like they were with them there in spirit.

Applejack walked down the aisle by herself, another of her decisions, before she climbed the stairs and stood up beside the altar. She smiled nervously at Jack, while her eyes looked everywhere except where he was. Jack on the other hoof, couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He felt that every second he looked away from her was like a second without air or water. Without her, he would slowly die.

“Ya…ya look amazing,” she said nervously. “Um, how…how do ah look?”

“All of the gods in the heavens pale in comparison to your beauty, for they know even with their might, they could never compare,” Jack whispered awe struck. “The moon would weep with envy and the sun would turn it’s back on the world, knowing that its shining light is nothing but a pale candle next to you. You outshine both, and that is simply your internal beauty. Shall I go on to describe how I feel about your attire?”

“No, please stop with the fancy poetry, you know ah can’t stand it,” Applejack said with a small giggle. Jack smiled at the laugh, glad to see that his words had done what he had wanted them to. Applejack couldn’t stand it when he used poetry or fancy descriptions of her. Those words often made her role her eyes and smirk at him. But from the way she now smiled and held her head a little higher, Jack could tell his words had taken a bit of the edge off. Her nerves weren’t as bad as before. But even though he didn’t say it, he had meant every word.

“For what It’s worth Applejack, I am a little envious of how beautiful you look,” Celestia said with a wink to Applejack. The mare smirked at the princess in response, but both Celestia and Jack noticed her face redden a little. Celestia cleared her throat and Jack felt everyponies eyes rest upon him and Applejack.

“Mares and Gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two souls,” Celestia began, her voice booming across the entire town square with ease. “Two souls that are as integral and welcome in this community as the air we breathe or the sun on our faces. Applejack and Samurai Jack. The both of you-“

“Ah do,” Applejack said, cutting Celestia off. Celestia blinked twice before she shook her head.

“Applejack, we’re not at that part yet. I’ve still got, like, five pages worth of speech to read before we get to the vows.”

“Don’t care. Ah do. Ah had to wait for him to propose, fer the wedding planners to get their flanks in gear and then there was that whole stupid return of Chrysalis that pushed everything back ah month. Ah. Do,” Applejack said with conviction.

“Applejack, this is not how things work. I’ve got to get through this speech and the talks about what it means to be-“

“I do as well,” Jack cut in. Celestia whipped her head around to look at Jack, who gave her a devious smile in reply. Celestia then shook her head and stared up at the sky.

“I swear, the both of you deserve each other. Fine, screw the traditions,” Celestia said as she threw the index cards she had been reading off of over her shoulder. “Applejack, do you take Jack in yada yada yada? You do? Good. Jack, how bout you? You as well. Great. Well then, if there is anyone that objects to this union, speak now or forever-DISCORD, I SEE YOU WITH THAT AIR HORN! YOU SET THAT THING OFF AND YOU’LL SPEND THE NEXT THOUSAND YEARS IN THE SUN…ahem, as there are no objects, you may now-“

Celestia never even had the chance to finish before Applejack threw herself forward and pulled Jack into the tightest hug she could manage, pressing her lips against his while tears streamed from her eyes. Jack closed his eyes and lost himself in the kiss as well, a small part of him unable to believe this was real. He was married to Applejack. The mare he loved. And all of it had happened with nothing going wrong. Amazing.

“Oh for Faust sake you two, you couldn’t wait just a couple more seconds?” Celestia asked, but her tone was filled with joy. Jack could just barely make out the thunderous applause coming from the crowd, complete with congratulations and the sounds of Big Mac bawling. Eventually, but still too soon, Applejack and Jack ended the kiss, but both refused to let go of the other. The two stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before they both smiled and leaned their foreheads against each other.

“We’re…we’re married. Ah can’t believe it. It feels like a dream that finally came true,” Applejack whispered, the tears still pouring.

“Indeed it does. I am in your care,” Jack replied. For a moment the two stood there, both just drinking in what this meant and how their lives had changed. Then Applejack looked at Jack once more and he could already tell she what she was going to say.

“Welp, now we got to plan our honeymoon. And ah’ve got the perfect place in mind,” Applejack began.

“Applejack, my dear, there are so many wonderful places in Equestria that we could go to. Are you sure-?” Jack began, but Applejack held a hoof to his mouth to shush him.

“Come on, Jack. You know there’s only one place ah want to go and one thing ah want to do to celebrate,” Applejack said, before a dangerous smile crossed her face. “Ah want to kill Aku.”

Next Chapter: Aku Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 14 Minutes