//------------------------------//
// In laws and apologies  
// Story: No Choice But To Love You 
// by Dawning Dusk 
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	It was a few hours later at the reception and ‘happy couple’ had yet to speak any other words to each other.
Surprise and Pinkie had set the party into full swing and from the outside it looked like heaven. Soarin was sitting by himself watching as his new wife (still a very scary thought) danced amongst her bridesmaids, looking semi happy for once that entire night. 
Dangling from her left ear was a large earring, with his cutie mark emblazoned on it in sparkling gems, reflecting small rainbows from its many facets. The earring confused him though, because it was completely untraditional. It was most common that pegasi would get small rings that would rest at the base of one of their wings, such as the one glimmering at the base of his left wing. From when he had to go get the jewelry, with the help of his female teammates, they were ultimately confused at the fact of she had refused to get a wing ring. She had opted for the more earth-pony esque style of having an earring.
His mind rambling of her odd choice was stopped as he felt a hoof touch his shoulder. Turning around he saw a sight that almost stopped his heart. Before him was the father of the bride, his wife and their seven sons. The in-laws.


-0-0-0-0-0-0-


“You’re goanna have to talk him sometime sugarcube.” Applejack had said that many times over the past few hours since the ‘big reveal’ and once again Rainbow was ignoring her, attempting to drown out her dread in the echoing bass of the music. She glanced over at Soarin and where he was sitting by himself as he pretended to look everywhere but at her as she swayed to the music.
She sighed “I know. But can I at least enjoy this time with you all for a little while longer?” she looked to the rest of her friends, hopeful that they would see her need.
“I have to agree with Applejack. Just ignoring a problem isn’t going to do anything.” Twilight’s calm voice cut across the music as the others all nodded in agreement. “Remember Rainbow Falls? Choosing not to choose isn’t really a choice.” 
“And what choice did I have?” Rainbow glared across the room at where her grandfather was celebrating the marriage with Soarin’s family. “it was an arranged marriage. No choice. I’m forced to be with him.”
“Didn’t you have a crush on him before?”
“Back when we were little Fluttershy!” she let out a little groan of frustration. “and isn’t he like six years older than me? He was learning to fly before I was born! Not to mention he’s way bigger than me. And-”
“Stop spewing out all that nonsense.” Applejack’s voice raised but not enough to grasp the attention of anyone outside their conversation. “Listen to yourself. You’re judging him before you’ve said more than three words to each other all night.”
“I do have to agree with Applejack again dear.” Rarity took a step closer and placed her forehooves on dash’s shoulders. “I’m sure he’s a perefect gentlecolt who wants nothing more to make you happy and put stars in your eyes. If you didn’t notice he was always fawning over you from the last few times he saw you.” She smiled and turned Dash around “Now go over there and talk to him. Get to know him.”
“But Rarity I can’t! What if he wants to be all lovey-dovey right away?”
“Just ask him to take it slow. That you want to build up a relationship before you get to any of the serious stuff.”
Pinkie poked her side “Umm…Rainbow Dash? Are your parents talking to him?”
“What?! My parents?  Oh Celestia help him!” She started to make her way through the crowd, hoping they wouldn’t mentally scar him too badly.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-


Rainbow’s father, war hero Spectrum Strike, was a world renowned flier from a group almost as famous as the Wonderbolts, strikeforce and head of the Pegasus branch of the army, AKA Soarin’s own boss.
At his side was a mare that seemed to glow from within without even trying. Before him was Firefly, the mare who held the most gold medals in the equestrian games history, and Rainbow’s mother.
Soarin didn’t even want to know what her very huge seven older brothers did for a living. Just from looking at them he could feel himself seeming to shrink. I just had to get the most intimidating family as my new in-laws… like this day could get any worse.
“I have to say I expected more than this from the stallion my little Bow was to be married to.” the stallion’s voice was gruff but held an edge that rivaled most of the swords in the armory.
“Uh, well Sir I, ummm…” Soarin attempted to create a comprehensible sentence as to how he wouldn’t disappoint.
“Spectrum!” Firefly swatted her husband and turned back to Soarin. “Don’t worry; my husband is just being a bit overprotective over his little girl.” She flashed him a bright smile and moved towards him. “As you can guess we’re your new in laws.” She stopped for a moment. “I’m a Mother in law. Gah I had hoped a title as grody as that would come in my later years,” she glared over at her sons, “when my little girl would not to the first of her siblings to get married.”
“One day mom, just not today.” the pale white stallion sighed as he looked over to where his sister was dancing among her friends. “Just get over this one first.”
“Then stop making me question if any of my sons are actually one day going to find some pony to settle down with.” She hissed over to her sons and then turned back to Soarin who was still attempting to not fall over with fear. “Sorry, it’s a thing for stallions in our family to be a teensy bit over protective, which I’m sure will also appear in you so you keep our daughter out of trouble.” She gave off a soft chuckle as they continued to glare at him. “Anyway we need to talk about you and our little bow, you know,” her voice turned from kind to threatening in what seemed was less than a heartbeat  “make sure that you know to treat her right so we don’t need to stage a…accident.”
Swallowing he sat up as straight as his spine would allow.
Her expression went from menacing to sweet and motherly in a second. “Good. Now, you don’t make her do anything she isn’t comfortable with, and if you do believe me, we will know.” She said with and icy chuckle. “Also she’s at best… a free spirit. Let her do as she needs to. She wants to fly you let her fly and such things as that. The bottom line of the grand speech my husband wanted to give you is this. Treat her right.”
Spectrum intensified his glare and said in a voice that nearly made Soarin’s blood turn o actual ice “if my little bow ever comes home upset or crying because of you…” the empty silence afterwards left a lot to be implied.
“Now sweetheart we better get back to our seats before our little girl finds out we’ve intimidated her little hubby.” She winked over to Soarin and moved her family away. “Remember! Treat her right or else!”  Soarin watched as she and her menacing husband and sons moved away with military precision and begin to happily mingle with the rest of the party goers.
What just happened?
“Are you okay?” he turned to see rainbow dash standing next to him. Looking around she sighed “let me guess. My family?”
He nodded as she blushed angrily. “I’m so sorry. They are way over protective of me. They didn’t scare you too badly did they?” for some pony who had been upset and crying just a few hours ago after properly meeting him as her husband she seemed pretty cool with the situation.
“I’m…good.” He blushed embarrassed “not to sound like a wimp but they were kind of scary.”
“Mr. Wonderbolt afraid of his in laws?” she softly chuckled as she shoulder bumped him. “I guess my parents can be a bit…”
“Menacing, threatening, scarier than a hydra-“
She laughed and punched his shoulder lightly “These are my parents you’re talking about. Now… I want to apologize for how I acted after the veil thing… you know…” she sighed. “I’m sorry I basically avoided you and ignored you.”
He smiled and absent mindedly threw a wing over her. “I would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes Mrs. Wonderbolt.”
She frowned as she slipped from the warmth of the short wing hug “I was wondering… would we be able to take this whole thing slow. You know, become friends and then see if we can actually do this whole married…thing. You know…”
“Build up a relationship before we get to do the finishing act of passion?”
“What?”
He coughed slightly into his hoof “you know… consummating the marriage?” after the current blank expression he whispered the basics into her ear.
She blushed “Oh yeah… I knew that. But seriously,” her expression turned pleading “can we stand as… good friends until we actually get into the swing of things?”
Looking down at her hopeful face, feeling his heart melt.  “Whatever makes you happiest.”