//------------------------------// // 1: Dress To Impress // Story: Wedding Woes // by Pip232 //------------------------------// Star Spark awoke to the harsh buzzing of his alarm clock, blindly smacking at his nightstand until he found the snooze button. He settled back into bed, the warm allure of sleep tempting him. His eyes were just starting to drift back shut when a loud voice startled him. “Star Spark, breakfast in ten!” Solid Strike called down the hall. “It’ll be my second helping if you’re not at the table by then.” It was an idle threat, but sleeping in wasn’t a luxury today. He groaned, and before he could be tempted again he kicked off the covers and grasped his curtains with magic, yanking them open and wincing as the sunlight flooded the bedroom. He squinted, letting his eyes adjust before turning to his bedside table and scooping up a necklace. As soon as he slung it around his neck the black quartz on the end turned blue, emitting a tiny amount of light and heat. Through the window he saw pegasi clearing away the clouds, making the weather perfect for the day ahead. He watched them for a few seconds before pulling himself out of bed, adjusting the pillows just right before pulling the covers over them. Satisfied that his bed was neatly made- or neat enough- he ducked into the bathroom. Stepping into the shower he turned the valve, yelping as cold water cascaded over him. Any remnants of sleepiness were shocked out of him as he scrambled away from the freezing stream, his hooves nearly slipping on the fiberglass tub. He shivered as he waited for it to warm up, the icy water soaking into his fur and sapping his body heat. Reaching out a hoof he felt the water starting to go from cold to lukewarm. Star Spark groaned impatiently as he mentally pleaded for it to hurry up. As he did a wondrous scent began to waft its way to him. He sniffed the air, and his annoyance gave way to an anticipating grin. It was pancakes, and if he knew his dad they’d have chocolate chips and loads of syrup, too! His mouth watered and suddenly lukewarm water didn’t seem too bad. Solid Strike hummed as he set the table, his ears perking up at the sound of his son’s hoofsteps before he came into the kitchen. “There you are, sleepyhead. Eat up, we’ve got a big day ahead.” he gently smiled, setting a plate full of pancakes on the table for them to share, levitating a few onto his own. “And please try not to get anything on your fur. We don’t have time to clean up again before the wedding.” “I’ll do my best,” he promised, beginning to dig into his breakfast. “Remember what we rehearsed?” Solid asked, taking a bite of his food. He suppressed a chuckle seeing his son’s face light up at the first bite. “Yeah. The Flower Fillies go first, then the bride and groom get up on the altar. Princess Celestia will say a few words, and then I walk up the aisle carrying a pillow with the wedding rings. The bride and groom take them, and then I go off to the side and stand next to you.” “Good boy.” “Yeah, it’s gonna be so awesome!” He practically jittered with excitement. "It will,” Solid grinned, anticipating the days ahead. "but it’s not just Shining and Cadance who have a reason to celebrate, so do we. In fact, we have two. The first is that after the wedding you and I will have the entire weekend together, just you and me.” He chuckled, seeing his son was now practically vibrating. “Careful, son, or you’ll cause an earthquake at the next bit of news.” He waited for him to calm down, beginning to grin from ear to ear. "For my continued dedication and service to the Royal Guard of Equestria, and my contributions to the security plans of the royal wedding, I have been promoted to lieutenant. It comes with a pay increase, but more importantly, it has a much more flexible schedule. I’ll be handling administrative matters and training young recruits now, and because of that you and I are going to get to spend much more time together from now on.” What happened next was too fast for the eye to perceive, but one moment Star Spark was sitting in his chair with a look of joy and awe on his face, the next he was running into his father’s side with enough force to nearly topple him as he wrapped him in a bear hug. “You're getting stronger every day, you know that? Pretty soon you’re going to have to be careful not to hurt your old man.” he returned the hug, giving his son a quick kiss on the head. “After breakfast, we both need to get dressed. It won’t do to have one of the groomsmen and the ring-bearer be late.” As soon as their plates were empty and in the sink, both of them went back to their rooms to get dressed. Star Spark pulled his outfit out of the closet and took it out of the dust cover, grinning at the suit inside. First was the gray undershirt which showed vividly against the colt’s pure white fur. Next, a pair of navy-blue pants and a black belt that matched his mane and tail. Star Spark grabbed a golden tie, admiring the color before draping it around his neck. He fiddled with the tie, biting his lip in concentration. Across, over, under, loop, snag you own hoof? No, that wasn’t right. Across, under, over, pull? No. Across, across, across? No. He focused and lit his horn trying to thread it, but he grunted at the horrid knot it made instead. Suddenly the tie was firmly grabbed by another magic aura, and he looked to see his dad standing in the doorway, wearing a crimson-red royal guard dress uniform. “Need some help, kiddo?” Solid didn’t wait for an answer before focusing on the tie. Star Spark watched it weave around, seeing just how far off he’d been. It crossed over, wrapped around, pulled through, wrap, wrap, pull, wrap, and with a final pull it was fastened with a gentle pressure around his neck. “Looking handsome, but there’s one last touch.” He saw his suit coat being floated over to him, raising his forelegs as his father deftly slipped it over him and buttoned it up. “There, perfect, see for yourself.” Star Spark looked at his reflection, and a big grin immediately stretched across his face. The blue pants and suit coat perfectly contrasted his fur, highlighted his mane and tail, and the undershirt matched the muzzle stripe on his face. The tie was a perfect match for his eyes. He couldn’t help but admire himself in the mirror, enjoying the sight it returned as all the details of his appearance seemed to immaculately compliment each other. “You’re as handsome as anypony at the wedding will be,” Solid commented with an approving smile. “If they didn’t know better they’d think you were a noble or a prince.” That got another grin out of him as he pictured himself with a crown on his head. “Prince Star Spark, it does have a nice ring to it, don’t you think, dad?” Solid chuckled, gently ruffling his son’s mane. “Oh yes, I think it sounds perfect for you. In fact, your royal escort is ready to take the handsome prince to the castle.” He looked at the state of his son’s mane and chuckled again, though much more nervously now as he floated over a comb. “Right after I fix your mane.”