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// Chapter 24- Wedding Daze 
// Story: Restart 
// by Alden MacManx 
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As the wedding day neared, I became more and more agitated, jumpy and nervous. I mean, this is going to be a day bigger than my getting the government job, bigger than my honorable discharge, bigger than my rather painful arrival in Equestria! It took the combined efforts of my stallion friends to keep me from flipping my lid. The week before the wedding, Silver Strings moved out of the house and into Friendship Castle, just for the week, mind you. That helped settle my nerves.

Invitations were printed up and sent out long before the wedding, to allow for RSVP’s. That would suggest to us where to hold the ceremony. Our response led to holding the wedding out in the open air, on the parade ground in Ponyville behind Friendship Castle. All the Princesses would be there, as well as many friends we had made on our tours. Silver Strings’ family would be there, as would the families of the Guard Force members.

Ponyville got itself ready for the onslaught of visitors in its own style, residents opening their houses to board visitors, the trains having additional runs to keep up with the demand and setting up tents for overflows as needed. Any questions as to why I wanted to hold the wedding here?

We (Silver Strings and I) had a long talk as to who we wanted as celebrant for the wedding. The discussion went back and forth between us before we stumbled upon one who we could both agree on. We sent her a letter, and she replied that she would be happy to. Princess Cadance is a very good sort. All the Princesses were invited, of course, and all said they would attend, so we scheduled the wedding for the late afternoon, so Princess Luna could attend and not miss much sleep.

Pinkie Pie, of course, we put in charge of the wedding party after the ceremony. She said leave everything to her, and so we did. We expected it to be over the top, Pinkie Pie not being known for her restraint. 

There was one detail that I had to take care of, and that involved the assistance of Fluttershy, to extract a promise from Discord not to disrupt the ceremony. Discord and I have been aware of each other since shortly after I arrived. I have not discussed his pranks on me for good reason, that being I want to forget as many of them as I possibly can. He does respect me for my skills as a role-playing game master, having told me more than once at a game that he likes my style of running a game. I taught him the pleasures of being surprised and pleased at the unexpected in a game, because I was prone to go off on tangents. Big Mac and Spike liked the tangents, too. Nice thing about running games here in Equestria is that I could use all my old tricks on a new audience. 

Discord agreed not to be too disruptive at the wedding. I can’t be sure if it was my pleading and groveling at his feet or Fluttershy’s Stare that caused him to agree. He gave his word, and I accepted it. I also told him that if he broke his word, I would have Fluttershy and Silver Strings deal with him. Discord’s not really a BAD draconequus, just capricious. Once you understand that, he’s more tolerable to be with.

Plans moved forward throughout Ponyville that week before the wedding. Rarity outdid herself, making Silver Strings’ gown and my suit. Never in my life have I worn a suit and tie that did not make me feel like I was choking until I put on the one she had made. Applejack and her family helped set up the little stage and seating area, Fluttershy trained up a flock of songbirds, Pinkie Pie was going full bore gonzo inside Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow Dash trained her Wonderbolts team to do a flyover, slaloming between buildings so as to pass over the wedding party at the right altitude, and Twilight, while not being the celebrant, was indeed the organizer and planner for the affair, and she outdid herself that week. Not a thing went wrong that I could see. Then again, I was being carefully herded about by Low Note, Accurate Strike, and the other stallions of my guard force. My uncommon klutziness surged that week, finding myself doing all sorts of slips, trips, skips and impacts. They decided, for my own safety, I should spend the last day and a half before the wedding in the safest place in Ponyville- the hospital, under care of both Doctor Horse and Doctor Pacer. It worked in that I was able to show up at my wedding unmarred, unmussed and unruffled. What was not obvious in the sunlight of the ceremony was that Accurate Strike was supporting me the whole way from the hospital to the green, because my knees were in full sponge rubber mode.

I slowly walked to my spot, my Best Stallion by my side. Looking over the crowd, I saw thousands of ponies waiting there, the Princesses up front along with some of the band. The rest of the band I knew were helping Silver Strings, along with the Ladies, except for Twilight. I waited, practicing relaxing mantras. “Easy, Tristan. You’ll make it. Only a few minutes more,” Strike whispered in my ear.

“Yeah, I know, Strike. It’s not that easy being here. I’ve never done this before,” I whispered back.

“You’ll never have to do this again. Think on that.”

“What, me think? At this time? I can’t, I’m deep in panic…” I managed to say.

I heard an organ start to play, and I saw at the back of the crowd the approach of the ladies. Silver Strings was resplendent in a silver metallic gown which glittered in the sunlight. The mares of the band were all clad in dresses that matched their fur, and the ladies were just plain stunning, even Rainbow Dash.

Slowly, they marched up the aisle, the flower fillies doing their job. The ring bearer was in position, holding the pillow with the matching rings. Princess Cadance took her position when Silver Strings reached the podium.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of this stallion and this mare,” I remember hearing before all the sounds just faded to a meaningless drone and the sight of Princess Cadance got fuzzy along the edges. The next thing I remember clearly is being asked if I wanted Silver Strings to be my wife. I think I said, ‘I do’, but I can’t swear to it. 

I clearly heard Silver Strings say her ‘I do’, then I was told to put the ring on her horn as she put one on mine. Shakily, I got the ring up. As we slid the rings on, from somewhere we heard a loud brass band start up and someone singing ‘…  he slips it on her horn and the choir begins to sing! Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on The Bedpost Overnight?’ quite loud, clearly audible throughout all Ponyville.

Back behind the seated audience, I could see said brass band and Discord, dressed in a tuxedo that changed color every second or two. I looked at him, he looked at me, the band stopped, and he said “What? Were you expecting ‘A Lover’s Concerto’?”

All my nervousness fell away as I just lost it, laughing like I have never laughed before, as did everypony else up on the stage and quite a few down in the seating area. I laughed until I was blue in the face (yeah, like THAT is very hard…) before shouting out, “Thank you, Discord!” He bowed, gestured with a walking stick that wasn’t there a second before, and vanished, along with the brass band.

After that, the party started in earnest. Pinkie Pie outdid herself with the party, everypony had fun, and the food was just excellent. All too soon, it was time to end the party. That was a good thing, because all the dancing we did tired me out. We managed to get into the house, leaning on each other, loudly thanking the crowd for turning out. Instead of going UP to the master bedroom, we went DOWNstairs to one of the spare bedrooms, which was much quieter. I refuse to fully describe our wedding night, but I will say Isolde was born about a year later. Draw your own conclusions, folks. Details are MINE!





Fifteen years.

Fifteen years since the wedding. We can’t believe where all the time has gone. We still live in the same house, added to because of Isolde, Silver Wire and Satin Blush. Isolde is fourteen, Silver Wire my ten-year-old colt, and Satin Blush my little pink filly of five years.

I still tour with The Wonders, but only twice a year. The records are pressed and out and are still selling well. Where I’m really raking in the bits are from the magirad patents and the telephone company. Phone service is in place between and within the major cities and spreading through the rural areas. Thank goodness Silver Strings figured out a means to dial a specific number without needing a unicorn to make the connection. That switchboard idea was giving me nightmares!

I was once offered a chance to head home, no questions asked. I thought for about a femtosecond before declining Discord’s offer. I’m so much happier here as a father, inventor, musician and teacher than I ever was back there, an aging civil servant with a glioblastoma in his brain.

Yes, teacher. I substitute at the Ponyville school, and guest lecture at Twilight Sparkle’s School of Friendship. I can get along with anypony, even Maud Pie. We talk rockology every once in a while. Still have not got her to smile, but I’m in no hurry. I’m just as willing to learn from her than I am from anypony else.

Excuse me, the phone is ringing. Wonder who needs me now. At least it’s not a loud bell. “Station calling, go ahead… Yes, Fluttershy, I should be ready in about five minutes… Yes, I will reserve you tickets for the next show run, and you can ride with us. Isolde is willing to fill in for you. Okay, Fluttershy. Dinner tomorrow? Good! I’ll tell Strings to set another plate for you. Okay, bye!”

Sorry about that, Joe. I don’t have much time left on the chip, so let me reiterate the instructions to you. You’re the executor of my estate there, because you’re the only one I trusted with my passcodes. My instructions boil down to this- take what you would like and donate the rest. I don’t care who or what you donate it to, just get rid of the stuff. Of course, tell nobody about what you’ve heard on this phone. In fact, the smart thing to do is download it to your desktop and chuck the phone out in the Thames or the Sound. 

There is absolutely no way I am going to go back to Earth, even if I could. Glioblastoma will lead to a miserable life. I don’t want that, especially after all the news coverage about Senator McCain a couple months back for you, a long time for me.

Discord has promised me that this phone will be put back in the car, in the door pocket where I usually leave it. How he twists time, I have no mortal idea, Joe. Then again, he IS inexplicable. I’m just glad I can call him a friend. He suggested I leave this testament to you, as a form of closing the door and locking it. My life here is too good to walk away from, especially when it leads to certain death.

Okay, Joe. I trust you to get everything done seeing as I am going to be declared ‘missing and presumed dead’. Hell, dead is what I would have been, had I not come here. I wish you could meet my wife and kids. You’ll like them. Be well and have a good life.



I sighed as I shut off the phone’s record function after a very lengthy dictation. I checked it over one last time, making sure nothing had decayed or deteriorated (which I knew full well it hadn’t) and that the files were intact.

Taking out a sheet of paper and a pencil, I wrote on it, ‘Joe Abraxos’ on one side and 10974 on the other side. I then took the phone and tucked it into the paper after folding it. “Okay, Discord. All’s ready for you.” I called out.

Discord appeared in the office, holding a cup of tea. “Took you long enough to call, Tristan. I decided to brew some tea while I was waiting,” he told me as he sipped from the cup.

“Just being thorough, Discord. Now, when you go to where and when I was before I came here, go to the little blue car that should be no more than a hundred feet away. Open the door on the driver’s side and slip this into the pocket at the bottom of the door. With luck, my missing an appointment will be enough to start a search for me,” I told him, hoofing over my phone.

“No need to worry, Tristan. It will be put in the right place, at the right time. You’ll have the tickets, yes?”

“Of course. My word has always been good. You know that. Besides, Fluttershy just called me. She knows, too,” I told the draconequus.

“Good! She will enjoy her birthday present from me. Now, to go put this here it should go,” he told me before disappearing, his teacup remaining exactly in place where he had left it, steaming gently, hovering in midair with no visible means of support. Fifteen seconds later, Discord returned, dripping wet, leaving water on the rug as he retrieved his tea. “You could have told me it was raining!”

“Gotcha!”