[Synopsis: For most of his life, MrEgg didn't have it easy...But none of the hardships he ever lived through could amount to a day like this.]

[Location: Somewhere in the English countryside, during the peak of autumn]

____________________________________________________________

MrEgg sighed as he looked himself down in the mirror. He didn't see anything out of place, but just to be sure, he straightened his bowtie again and dusted himself off.

"Are you nervous, MrEgg?" TheGentleman asked, his tone full of genuine concern.

"I...Oh, I'm sorry, TheGentleman," he responded. "I've been waiting for this moment for months now, and even though I finally made it there, part of me still thinks something can go horribly awry. And usually in my case, if something can go wrong, it will, and it will go very, VERY wrong...But I always think my fears are never valid, and then, I...I just feel stupid for even thinking things like that."

"Oh, MrEgg, you have nothing to worry about now. You've come this far already, and you've done amazingly the whole way through! Not just with the planning for all this, but everything that lead up to it as well...We're all immensely proud of you, and even if anything were to somehow go wrong, we still would be. You're going to do wonderfully out there, MrEgg. I haven't a single doubt about it!"

TheGentleman straightened out his top hats and flashed MrEgg a reassuring smile.

"...You really mean all of that?"

"Every word. Come now, MrEgg. Have some confidence! Show me!"

He nodded, then put on the most hot to trot face he could muster, puffing his chest out and standing tall.

"Ha! That's what I like to see! Now, who's ready to get out there and impress!?"

"I am!"

"You bet your britches you are!"

TheGentleman took a peek at the clock on the wall above them.

"Ooh! We'd best get out there and meet your brother at the limousine. We've only got twenty minutes until the ceremony starts, and everyone else is likely almost halfway there already!"

"Oh, great Scott! H-how do I look, is everything good?"

"You look ravishing, and ready to roll," TheGentleman nodded, the two of them already heading out of the rental cottage and over to the rental limousine. Sheldon was in the driver's seat, hands on the wheel and foot on the gas.

"Just in time, you two. Egg, you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," the smaller orange crewmate replied.

"Now, let's get a move-on!" TheGentleman exclaimed excitedly. "Tally-ho!"

____________________________________________________________

...

____________________________________________________________

The spot MrEgg had chosen was perfect in every way. The rolling hills, the green grass, the trees dotted all over the place...The leaves on said trees had recently turned from verdant green to vibrant shades of vermillion, copper and gold, and they seemed to shine on their own in the soft light of the early evening sun.

"It's a beautiful evening, it is," TheGentleman remarked as they made their way to the venue. "I'm very glad the weather is in our favor now; I was a bit worried by those clouds this morning."

"As was I...But they're nowhere to be seen now, are they?"

"Indeed not. Nothing but the sun and a clear, vibrant sky."

"Clouds must've been afraid of what we might say to them if they stuck around," Sheldon jeered.

They all shared a laugh as TheGentleman and MrEgg stepped up onto the flowery alter, waving to Sheldon as he took the last empty seat in the front row. The groom and his best man looked over the crowd...All of their friends were there. Sheldon of course, and Player, Veteran, Captain and Dum, Gnome and Engineer, Rose and BDay, Ninja, Sheriff, PoopyFarts, pretty much EVERYONE was there...Even Bro and Stoner had showed up, and everyone knew they weren't exactly ones for fancy do's.

MrEgg spied a dapper-looking Timmy in the audience, sitting beside Mother and Franklin with a cushion in hand. He flashed the mini crewmate a thumbs up and a grin, earning one back in return.

"TheGentleman! MrEgg! 'Bout time you guys got here!"

MrCheese eagerly waved to them from where he was seated, and both of them returned the gesture a bit more subtly.

"Did we miss anything?" TheGentleman asked, just to confirm.

"Nah, you didn't. But she should be here pretty darn soon, so it's a good thing you two are here...Hey, MrEgg. You're lookin' snazzy, bud."

"Thank you...That means a lot, it does," the latter smiled. He took another deep breath and scanned over the scene in front of him, his gaze darting from place to place...The crowd, the decorations, the band he'd hired...The members of the string quintet and the harpsichordist were warming up and looking over their sheet music one more time.

Everything seemed to be in order, so he let his nerves settle down a bit more. As long as it all stayed that way, he shouldn't be scared by anything.

"Just wanna say congratulations again! You did an amazing job, MrEgg!"

Both he and TheGentleman nearly jumped out of their suits and looked behind them. Captain was standing there in his pristine white, gold-trimmed uniform, an excited smile on his face.

"Oh, Captain...Ha! Forgive me, I didn't see you there!" MrEgg chuffed as he got his wind back.

"You gave us a bit of a startle there...!" TheGentleman giggled. "Phew...So, I assume you're ready to play your part?"

"I've been memorizing and practicing ever since I was assigned to this. Which is a while, considering the planning process for this began a good three months ago. MrEgg, I won't let either of you down. You can count on the Captain!"

"I'm sure you'll do wonderfully," MrEgg assured him. "...And, TheGentleman?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks again for being my best man. I don't think I'd have ever been able to do all this without your help and support."

"It has been an honor of honors. I wouldn't have traded it for the world, old chap...And might I add your brother was quite a groomsman."

"I do what I can," the burnt orange crewmate nodded and smiled from the audience.

"Guys, guys!"

A banana-clad figure came running up the grassy aisle, gracefully but hurriedly making her way up onto the altar to Captain's right, opposite from where TheGentleman and MrEgg were. It was Angel, the maid of honor, and she looked slightly frantic.

"Is everything okay, Angel?" the egg-hatted crewmate questioned.

"Everything is in order, MrEgg," she promised him with a reassuring nod. "But we got held up by a big parade of mother and baby ducks crossing over the bridge. There were probably at least a few score."

"Oh my..."

"But we're here now. She was just touching herself up a bit more, so she told me to go ahead and update you on everything, so she shouldn't-Oh, there! Here she comes!"

"Fellas," MrEgg addressed turning to face the band. "That's you're cue."

They all nodded and gave him the thumbs up, then readied their instruments, taking one last peek at the title of the piece that'd been chosen for them to play.

____________________________________________________________
"Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major"
"Johannes Sebastian Bach"
____________________________________________________________

It was only a moment or two after the music started that he saw a familiar figure making her way towards him from the back of the venue, dressed in white from head to toe and carrying a bouquet of matching roses, her face slightly obscured by the veil covering it...He could feel a tear pricking at the corner of his visor as she drew nearer and nearer.

Oh, she's beautiful...

All of MrEgg's worries from before seemed to vanish into thin air once he saw his dear Ria...He always found her to be beautiful, but never had she looked more stunning than she did now; in a gown white as snow, made even brighter by the early evening sun shining down on her, and coming ever closer.

Finally, she stepped up to the altar, handed her bouquet to Angel, then turned to face MrEgg...He slowly lifted the veil from her face and revealed it fully, his eyes widening in sheer, utter elation.

...For just a sliver of a moment, he feared that this was somehow all a dream, too good to be true, and that he would wake up on the streets again. No friends, no family...no bride. Back where he was when he first escaped his home. But it faded as soon as it appeared; his dreams weren't ones of slumber. They were very real.

And they were standing right there before him.

"...Dearly beloved," Captain began. "We've all gathered here today to join MrEgg and Ria in holy matrimony. Now something like this isn't to be taken lightly. No. It requires deep thought and an understanding of what exactly it means to be wed. The responsibilities you have, the promises you make...That's what it's really all about. Not that it can't also be fun, of course! But it's a commitment. Probably the most important one you'll ever make in your life...So with all that said, all in favor of joining MrEgg and Ria in the union of marriage, say aye!"

"AYE!"

Everybody rose their hand in agreement. Not a single sour face was hidden within the crowd of smiles.

MrEgg couldn't help but chuckle just a bit; Captain wasn't exactly a traditional officiant, but that was just what made it that much better; his chipper attitude, his lightheartedness. It seemed to give the ceremony an extra bit of perk.

"Then the vote masses!" Captain nodded, turning to the groom. "Now, then...MrEgg. Do you take Ria to be your lawfully wedded wife, pledging your faith for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, and to love and cherish her for all the rest of your days?"

"...I do."

"And Ria! Do you take MrEgg to be your lawfully wedded husband, pledging your faith for better or worse, in both sickness and health, for richer or poorer, and to love and cherish him for all the rest of your days?"

"I do."

"Excellent! Now, let's get Timmy on up here!"

"That's your cue, sweetheart, go on...!" Mother urged her eldest son. The mini crewmate stood up tall from where he'd been sitting and put on his best air of upper class refinement as he stepped up to the altar, the cushion with the pair of rings in the center of it still in hand.

"You know, I've always kinda wondered what the whole wedding ring thing was all about," Captain told the audience. "Well, when I delved a little deeper into the subject, it turned out that it isn't just something fancy to show off; it's a symbol of unending love to one another. Makes sense, since a ring is a circle, and circles don't have any ends to them...Whoever thought of that was a darned genius if you ask me."

He earned a few giggles from the crowd. Even Ria held back the urge to laugh some, and she planned to thank MrEgg for appointing Captain as the officiant during the reception.

They each took the other's respective ring and slid them onto each other's finger. Once that was done, they turned to Captain to conclude the ceremony.

"It's all settled then," the white-clad crewmate confirmed. "With the power invested in me by Innersloth, I now pronounce you egg and wife! You may kiss the bride."

That was when the band started up again, playing a different, more upbeat song than from before.

____________________________________________________________
"Wedding March"
"Felix Mendelssohn"
____________________________________________________________

MrEgg had been awaiting this moment for ages, and he wasn't about to let it go to waste. Just a moment after he leaned in, he suddenly swept the bride up into his grasp and spun around with her, then as soon as they stopped, he leaned her back, threw his head downward and gave her the most passionate kiss he'd ever been able to muster thus far. Ria very nearly swooned in his hold; the two of them had entered their own little bubble of heaven, the world around them fading as they focused only on each other...Everything in that moment was perfect. Every worry they ever had, every sorrow that'd stricken them, they all seemed to melt away and vanish into thin air.

Pure, untainted bliss was all they felt. It was the happiest they'd ever been in all their lives.

...The cheering applause from the crowd faded into their ears once again, and the two newlyweds finally pulled away and ended he miss, staring into each other's sparkling visors.

"I..." MrEgg stammered, tears glistening in his eyes again as he pulled Ria back towards him and clasped his hands around her. "...I love you so much, Ria."

"I love you too, MrEgg," she whispered softly, planting one more kiss against his cheek.

The couple finally looked at the attendants; most of them were standing, some even whistling and cheering during the applause...For such a long time so many years ago, MrEgg never thought he would ever feel the way he did now, in the presence of his friends, his brother, and now the love of his life at his side...Nothing had ever felt more wonderful, and he promised himself that he would cherish the memories of today for as long as he lived.

"Well, everyone..." he said to the crowd. "Would you care to follow Ria and I to the buffet?"

The crowd cheered again, and everyone watched the newlyweds descend from the altar and make their way to the outdoor reception hall that'd been set up...The long table was covered with a pristine white cloth, and a gold lace-trimmed runner stretched across its length. The buffet table was just as long, sporting a slightly less shiny tablecloth, but an OCEAN of food to make up for it. There was plenty of salad to go around, and a lot of the attendants spied stuffed chicken breasts, eggplant Parmesan, deviled eggs, lots of delicious cooked vegetables and several different types of pasta, topped off with a huge platter of Hawaiian rolls. And that wasn't the end of it; yet another, slightly smaller table standing perpendicular to the main course selection hosted a large variety of desserts. The puddings, fruit salad and fudges all looked very nice, but the REAL kicker was what was sitting on is own special round table off to the right of the dessert area, elevated on a white pedestal stand and covered in a tall glass cloche: the four-tier wedding cake covered in ivory buttercream frosting. The bottom and second layers had the frosting swirled onto it in the shapes of roses, and the top and third each had a spiraling stripe texture, and sitting on the top layer was a pair of glittering turtle doves, one with a pink rose-lined veil and the other with a black top hat and bow. A ring of white roses crafted from the same buttercream frosting encircled the pair of birds, giving the culinary work of art a dainty finishing touch.

The cake cutting was something to look forward to after dinner, that was for certain.

Everyone grabbed a plate and headed over to the table to feast...Much to everyone's relief, Mother ensured that Timmy and Franklyn stayed in check and didn't go hog wild over the Hawaiian rolls. Not to say they weren't welcome, but some of the guests were a tad worried about them being the only children at the ceremony. But if Goober and PoopyFarts could contain themselves at such a time, so could they, right?

By the time everyone had helped themselves to the buffet, between half and three quarters of everything was gone. And on top of the successful buffet, the numerous bottles of sparkling fruity mocktails pleased everyone there(though TheGentleman, MrCheese, Mother, Sheriff, Hunter, Sheldon and the two newlyweds managed to sneak themselves some actual bubbly, having replaced the labels on the two bottles they'd reserved specifically for themselves.)

In the middle of the feast, TheGentleman stood up from his chair and tapped his champagne glass, calling the attention of the entire table. MrEgg grinned; he told him that he didn't have to prepare a speech if he didn't want to, but it seemed as though he'd gone the extra mile.

I don't know what I'd have ever done without him... he said to himself as TheGentleman readied to speak.

"If I may have everyone's attention, I would like to say a few words about the newlyweds," the charcoal-clad crewmate announced. "First of all, I...I can't express enough how grateful I am for the two to be in my life, especially standing where they are now. And seeing you two come so far after so many trials and hardships that had to be endured across your lives makes me so proud, I...Why, I-I'm getting all misty eyed just looking back on everything."

TheGentleman took a moment to dab at the bottom of his visor with his napkin, and he cleared his throat before continuing.

"Pardon me...And about today. MrEgg, I know I told you this earlier before we left the rental cottage, but it was an honor of honors to be your best man throughout this time. You're a wonderful chap, and you've been married to a wonderful lady this fine evening. And Ria, I can't thank you enough for all you've done for him, and all you've done for the rest of us...I, as well as many others here, wish you two the absolute best, because that's what each of you deserve. The absolute best there is."

He rose his glass up high for all to see.

"To the newlyweds!"

Everyone echoed the toast and rose their glasses in the air as well...TheGentleman wasn't the only one to give a speech. A few minutes later, Sheldon said a few words about how happy he was to see how far his brother had come, and that he would strive as best he could to be like him, claiming that now, in a strange and wonderful twist of fate, he now looked up to him...Understandably, some of the attendants were confused as to why Sheldon got an invitation, let alone was assigned to be one of the groomsmen, after everything MrEgg had said about their childhood. But judging by everyone's applause, a few minds had been changed about him, much to the two brothers' relief and satisfaction.

"...Y'know, I've never been right-up applauded before," Sheldon remarked after the speech was done. "If I've done somethin' worth applauding, then...I must say, I'm glad. Means I must've done something good, doesn't it?"

"It does, Sheldon," MrEgg smiled. "It really does..."

When everyone was finished eating, there was a bit more conversation among the crowd...By the time the newlywed couple announced that it was time for the cake cutting, the sun was nearly halfway beneath the horizon, and the pale blue and yellow sky had turned vibrant shades of orange, fuchsia and gold, with visible beams of sunlight stretching out across the painted sky.

MrEgg carefully lifted the glass cloche up off of the cake and set it down on the main dessert table, then cut the first piece off...They could see a few awkward grimaces in the crowd as they each hand-fed each other, but that made it all the more enjoyable, and they made the scene even more lovey-dovey, ensuring that whoever wasn't fond of their ceremonial PDA would be teased by it.

"So MrEgg, what kinda cake is it?" Veteran inquired as the groom, maintaining a surprisingly straight face in the presence of what most thought he would cringe at the most. "You said it was s'posed to be a surprise until it was time to cut it, right?"

"That's correct," he replied, cutting another piece. "Sheldon. Why don't you have yourself a taste test?"

"My pleasure."

As he stepped forward and took the platter, Player whispered to his best friend.

"Wow, Veteran. I thought you'd be the one complaining the most about them doing the whole cake feeding thing."

"Well, duh. I just focused more on the cake than on the couple," he rasped in response. "Why does it work so well? Because I know I'm gonna be shovin' my own mouth with that stuff soon! Oh man, I cant wait to know what flavor it is..."

Everyone watched in eager anticipation as Sheldon cut a small piece off of the slice with the edge of his fork, stuck the prongs into it and brought it up to his mouth, studying the taste. His visor widened a moment later, sparkling with amazement.

"Oh, wow...!" the burnt orange crewmate exclaimed, his smile stretching a mile wide. "It's eggnog cake!"

Most of the crowd seemed impressed, and a few laughed; typical of MrEgg, it seemed. Player seemed a bit bummed out though, despite his clapping, considering he wouldn't be able to eat it...But MrEgg had come prepared for that as well.

"Oh, and one more thing!" the groom added, reaching underneath the cloth of the dessert table and pulling a smaller platter of cake out, roughly the same size as the top tier of the main cake. "Player, old chap. Just for you, we special ordered a recipe made with lactose free butter and almond milk. You can take this one home with you to share with your folks as well!"

Immediately, his visor lit up, and his smile returned.

"Oh, WOW! Really!?"

"Indeed, old chap!" he replied, stepping towards the red crewmate and handing him the platter.

"Ha ha, thanks so much!"

Player folded MrEgg into a quick side hug as thanks before joining the rest of the crowd again...Everyone got a good-sized piece of the cake, and it was a massive hit; the smooth, moist texture paired with the sweet cinnamon and nutmeg really made it taste like autumn, so it really fit the aesthetic.

As everyone finished their cake up and readied to hit the open, grassy area for the dance, MrEgg scanned over the happy guests and the marvelous decor again. It was all splendid, but the reason everyong was gathered here was the real source of his joy...Nothing he'd ever felt could compare to what he was feeling now.

...This is the greatest day of my life, he said to himself, feeling a happy tear pooling in the bottom of his visor.

"Hey, Eggy."

He turned to face his bride, who hadn't left his side since the ceremony.

"Yes, love?"

"Thanks for making tonight so special," she chirped, planting a subtle kiss against his cheek and holding him close. "This is enough happiness to last forever."

"Nothing but the best for you, dearest," the marigold crewmate replied softly, kissing her again on the lips. "I do believe we both earned it anyways, didn't we?"

"We sure did, MrEgg...I love you to the ends of this earth."

"As do I to you, Ria...And that will always be."

They each tightened their hold on one another, their cheeks gently pressed against each other's as they stood there, taking in the moment.

"Oh, and one more thing," the lime figure added. "Making Captain the officiant was the best idea you've had since lactose free eggnog. At my aunt's wedding when I was younger, the priest was this stuffy-looking old guy, and he was just so boring. Captain really breathed some life into the ceremony."

"Oh, well thank you, dear. Ha...To tell you the truth, I was a little nervous about giving him the role, but he did quite well."

"The risk paid off. Big time," Ria assured him. "So...you wanna go dance?"

The marigold crewmate bowed and gently took her hand.

"Ria love, I wouldn't trade a chance like this for the world. Let's go show 'em how it's done!"