Aegis joined Fireball at her parent’s graveside, Peony bouncing up and down, giggling. “Hey. Have you told them yet, honey?”
“I was waiting for proof. Momma never did think she’d ever get a grandfoal. I was never one for dating.” Fireball smiled. “Well, Momma, Daddy, here she is.” Fireball lifted Peony from her carrier and held her facing the shared gravestone, carved with the names ‘Vapor Trail’ and ‘Sky Stitcher’. “See, she’s got your mane, Dad. I hope that she didn’t get your love of speed. Mom, there’s a bit of your mane in there, too.” Fireball placed Peony back into the carrier slung across Aegis’ back. “I wish you were still here, but I know that you two, and Rock and Chrysanthemum, as well, will be there in spirit.”
“Fireball, we’re kinda running late...” Aegis grinned, nuzzling her.
“Oh, I know, I know. Come on, now, dear.” Fireball led the way. Aegis gave his respects to the grave then joined Fireball, bouncing Peony along as they trotted back into Snaffleton proper.
“Flare, you’re not supposed to look better than I do, y’know.”
“That is, perhaps, too easy to do, Aegis,” grinned the gold-laced, black feathered griffon in a bow tie. Gregor hadn’t been happy that Aegis had left Snaffleton, but he was enjoying having him back, especially given the occasion.
“I still say you should have let me plan your bachelor party...” Flare flinched as Nimbus cuffed him with a wing, a scowl on her face.
“I’ve seen you at a bachelor party. Nooooo thanks.” Aegis chuckled.
“Not to mention that you had to go and save half a city, while getting shot at, and scaring me half to death the next day!” Nimbus chimed in, her eyes still narrowed and her wings half-extended.
“I’m sorry honey,” Flare said, nuzzling his wife gently, careful not to mess up her dress. “You’re still not going to let that go, are you?”
Nimbus scowled some more, but finally relented and returned the nuzzle. “Maybe... in thirty years. Maybe.”
“Thirty years sounds optimistic, to me. I’m never forgiving Dusty for messing up that handsome face I claimed,” Skipjack added in, shooting a playful glare at the aforementioned stallion.
“Aw, and here I thought chicks dig scars,” Dusty shot back.
“Hey, now I’m no chick!” Skipjack grinned at the old exchange.
“I see feathers from here,” came Dusty’s usual response. The two shared a kiss as the rest of the wedding party laughed. Without warning, the music of a wedding march began to fill the air.
“It’s time!” squeaked Leapfrog, who slid in beside Gregor. Flare and Nimbus, then Dusty and Skipjack stepped into place. Aegis picked up Peony and gave her a nuzzle, causing a giggle, and slid his darling little escort into her carrier. With a nod to the others, he proceeded down the aisle, towards the altar.
Upon reaching the end, he passed Peony and the foal carrier off to Morning Sun, who took a seat in the fourth chair on the front row, beside Aria and Alamode in seats five and six. Leapfrog and Gregor followed thereafter, as maid of honor and best ‘stallion’. Next were Dusty and Skipjack, followed by Nimbus and Flare, who had elected to come down the aisle last in order to stay as close to Breaker, the claspbearer, as long as possible. Once they had reached their spots, they motioned for Breaker to follow.
Breaker, seeing the length of the aisle, decided to proceed with all due haste as fast as possible down the aisle, plowing into his Uncle Aegis, who only laughed. Flare looked as if he wanted to, as well, but a single glance from Nimbus shut that down. Aegis made sure the clasps were secure, then motioned for Breaker to wait beside Flare. The music changed pitch as the organist received the cue everypony had been waiting for.
At the end of the town square, stepping out from the enclosed pavilion, came Cloudhammer in his dress uniform, a look of pride on his face as he escorted Fireball, dressed resplendently in a simple sky blue wedding dress. The flower fillies, Jennifer and Summer, skipped down the aisle, taking turns tossing the early spring petals across the soft grass. The weather team, friends all to Fireball, fudged the schedule a little to ensure there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as their wedding gift.
Aegis could only stare as Fireball strode in time to the wedding march. Had he not been standing in front of everypony he knew, he might have started to cry again. Jennifer and Summer joined their mother at the left side of the aisle, and promptly began making faces at Breaker, who eagerly returned the gesture. Unfortunately for Breaker, his mother was also across from him, while Jennifer and Summer were across from their father, who was amused where Nimbus was giving Breaker a “mom look’ that promised, at minimum, a good talking to later.
Fireball smiled shyly and looked over to Cloudhammer. “Thank you, again, for agreeing to give me away. And for helping pay for the wedding.” She leaned against her soon-to-be father-in-law in a walking hug of sorts.
“No, thank you for making Aegis accept it. That boy is too prideful. I just wanted to give something back, for not being there...”
“That’s sweet, Cloudhammer, but you’re here now. That’s what counts. And so are we.” Fireball gave Cloudhammer a quick nuzzle, then took her place at Aegis’ side as Cloudhammer sat beside Morning Sun in the third seat of the front row.
On both sides of the aisle’s front rows sat two empty chairs each. In each spot sat photos with black ribbons tied across the frames; a chair each for Vapor Trail, Sky Stitcher, Rock Quarry, and Chrysanthemum.
“Hey,” said Aegis to Fireball.
“Hey,” Fireball replied.
“You look amazing.”
“You look... presentable.” They both laughed.
Aegis leaned forward, placing his forehead against Fireball’s. “I... I was terrified I was going to lose both of you. That this day would never come.”
“But you didn’t, and it has.” Fireball looked to the Justice of the Peace, Snaffleton’s current mayor Penny Charter. “We’re ready, Penny.”
Penny smiled back and began. “Friends and family, we’ve gathered here today under Princess Celestia’s glorious sun to see these two, Aegis Exemplar and Fireball, joined in the ancient tradition of marriage. And, if I may add, it’s about time!” A ripple of laughter and agreement went through the crowd as Aegis stuck his tongue out at the lot of them.
“Best...uh, griffon, I guess, do you have the clasps?” Penny asked of Gregor, who motioned for Flare to send Breaker forward.
“Go on, Breaker, take them to Gregor like you practiced,” Flare said encouragingly. Breaker puffed his chest out and bravely stomped over to the griffon.
Gregor chuckled. “Such a brave colt. Thank you, little one.” Gregor ruffled Breaker’s mane after taking the clasps balanced on the pillow on Breaker’s back. Breaker let out an ‘eep’ and ran back behind Flare.
“Yes, Penny, I have the clasps.” Gregor passed one each to Aegis and Fireball.
“The couple have prepared vows. Fireball?” Penny motioned for Fireball to begin.
“Thank you, Penny.” Fireball turned to fully face Aegis, staring deep into his dark blue eyes. “Aegis, I don’t know how we may have missed knowing each other as we grew up here, but that day twelve years ago when you untangled me from those vines and plucked me out of that tree, I knew there was just something about you I liked. I had no idea, though, that just such a simple act as getting me safely out of the Everfree Forest could eventually result in our daughter.” Fireball broke eye contact with Aegis for just a moment, sparing a glance at Morning Sun and Peony Sky, who was being kept moderately quiet with her pacifier. “Will you have me, Aegis, as your wife, through good times and bad, for as long as we live?”
“I will, Fireball.” Fireball gently placed the cuff-like clasp, as traditional in pegasus and earth pony weddings as horn rings were to unicorns, on Aegis’ left foreleg.
Aegis waited for no cue and launched right into his vows: “Fireball, we’ve known each other twelve years, and been together for most of it; I could ask for no better best friend, no better wife, and no better mare to be the mother of our foals; I’m not a great speaker, but I just want you to know I’ll love you in this world and the next; Fireball, do me the ultimate honor and be my love, my life, my wife, and the mother of our foals in this world and beyond?”
“Oh, Aegis, yes, yes, of course I will!” Aegis fastened the clasp around Fireball’s left foreleg, his eyes never leaving hers.
“With these vows so witnessed, with these two bound together under Celestia’s sun and Luna’s moon, I now pronounce you stallion and wife. You may now-” Fireball leapt for Aegis, kissing him deeply. “-continue to kiss the bride,” deadpanned Penny Charter. The crowd of ponies of every type, very nearly the entire population of Snaffleton, cheered as one.
Aegis rested his forehead against Fireball’s once again. “And now, the best part...” Aegis grinned. “The reception!” Aegis laughed and led his wife back down the aisle, towards a particular table with a particular four-layer wedding cake, from a confectioner’s shop Cloudhammer had known of out of Ponyville.
Food, brought in potluck-style by most of the guests, and punch were served; cake was cut, messes were made, and fun was had by all. Gregor demonstrated that griffons could, indeed, dance, and even Cloudhammer had been persuaded- or forced by Morning Sun- to take a turn.
During one of the quiet moments, away from the bulk of the crowd, Aegis and Fireball were approached by a white unicorn with a pink mane, another well-wisher, though not one Aegis recognized.
“My, for a place of such dour reputation, your little town of Snaffleton does seem to know how to celebrate.”
“We sure do, ma’am. When things get as glum as they sometimes do, we have to party all the harder when there’s something worth celebrating.” Aegis smiled. “You here long, or just passing through?”
“Oh, just passing through. Sometimes you just have to get away for a little while. I just wanted to congratulate you two, Aegis, Fireball. And your darling little filly, as well. She has great things ahead for her, I feel.” She smiled and bowed to the newlyweds. “And, Aegis...” the mare leaned in close, whispering, “we always hear when our little ponies call.” She smiled knowingly, then walked away, passing Cloudhammer, who had wound up carrying Peony. “Cloudhammer.”
“Your Highness.” Cloudhammer answered automatically as he walked on past before freezing, then looking back.
“What do you think she meant by that, Aegis?” Fireball looked to her husband in confusion as Cloudhammer joined them.
Aegis just stared as the mare disappeared into the crowd. “Clou-... Pops, was that who I think it was?”
“Just might have been, Aegis. Just might have been...”
All the ponies around her were enjoying the rare celebration in Snaffleton, a whirl of sound and color that most would expect to upset the filly. Peony Sky giggled to herself in her foal carrier, her only concerns in the world centered on the three ponies closest to her.