Chapter 6: I Got You (I Feel Good)
The Cutie Mark Crusaders and their significant others are gathered at Diamond’s club house. “I got to admit.” Diamond says. “I liked your club house in the tree better.”
“There’s just too many of us for that place anymore.” Scootaloo says.
“Sides I thought I did a good job fixin’ this place up.” Apple Bloom says. “It earned me mah cutie mark, so there's no place I'd rather be.”
“Well said.” Ash says. “Besides now you can bring in injured ponies if you want. Instead of having the welcoming ceremony at the foot of the tree.”
“At least it didn't rain.” Scootaloo points out.
“By some miracle.” Ash replies, and everypony chuckles.
“Just think after tomorrow we don't know when we'll be able to do this again.” Sweetie says.
“I'm sure it won't be more than 3 months, tops before we're all able to be back here.” Diamond says.
“I'm sure you're right.” Sweetie says.
Somepony knocks on the door. “Scootaloo are you here?” Winter Spark asks through the door.
“Scootaloo been seeing a colt behind my back?” Silver Spoon teases.
Scootaloo chuckles. “Come on, you met Winter before.” She gets up and let's him in. “Hey Winter, what's up?”
“I wanted to talk to you about something, your Mom said you'd be here.”
“Yeah, we're all here. Tomorrow is Sweetie’s big day so we're all spending the day together.” Scootaloo says as she moves out of the doorway. “Come take a load of your hooves and tell me what's going on.”
“But all your friends are here.” Winter says
“At least a few of us count you as our friend as well.” Ash says.
Winter nods. “I suppose there's no reason I can't talk to everypony “
“That’s the spirit.” Scootaloo laughs. “Now out with it.”
“Nymeria proposed to me the other day.” Winter says.
“I knew there was something I liked about that filly.” Diamond says.
“So you said yes?” Scootaloo asks.
“I told her I needed some time to think about it, and I think we’re going to have a hornfasting ceremony.” Winter answers.
Sweetie gasps. “I've always wanted to see one of those.”
“Can somepony explain to us non-unicorns what the heck a hornfasting ceremony is?” Scootaloo ask.
“The officiating pony will tie their horns together with a piece of magical thread signifying they are to be considered married for a year and a day. If everything goes well a year and a day later they are officially married, unless of course the mare gets pregnant, then they’re automatically considered married.” Ash explains.
The room gets eerily quiet as everypony looks at Ash, finally Silver speaks up. “How in Tartarus did you know that?”
“My mother was the commander of a garrison of ponies, she’s occasionally be called to officiate one if they didn’t want to bother the Chaplain”.
“Oh, yeah.” Silver says. “I suppose that makes sense.”
“Wait, so that means you know the ceremony?” Winter asks.
Ash nods. “Of course.”
“That’s perfect! I needed to find somepony other than my Mom or Aunt to officiate.”
“Wow! Wait a second, I don’t have that kind of authority.” Ash says. “I’m just one of Twilight’s guards.”
“If I get you the authority will you do it?”
“I suppose, but I have my own wedding tomorrow, then we’re going on our honeymoon so it’ll be a while before I could do it.”
“I mean to do it tonight.”
“If you can get me authority to officiate by tonight, then sure.”
Winter nods. “I’ll do that, I’ll get back with you.” He runs off.
“Do you think he has a chance of getting you the authority?” Scootaloo asks.
“IHe's Luna's adopted son, anything's possible.” Ash answers.
“Then we should try and find ways that we can help him.” Diamond says.
“Diamond’s right, let’s brainstorm everypony!” Sweetie commands.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo grin and look at Sweetie Belle. "Can we do it for old time's sake?"
Sweetie grins with them both as she nods. "Everypony all at once though."
Everypony nods and together they all say. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Hornfasting planners!"
==========
Winter teleports to the doors of Twilight’s castle and chuckles to himself. “I guess all that practicing with Nymeria has it’s perks.” He opens the door and walks in. “Anypony home!”
“Winter!” Nymeria says as she appears in an alcove and then pounces the colt pinning him to the floor before kissing him passionately.
Winter kisses her for a minute then uses his magic to move her off him enough so he can get up. “I’m glad to see you too Nymeria.”
“Did you make up your mind yet?” Nymeria asks.
Winter nods. “I need to discuss something with Twilight, then I’ll tell you my answer.”
Nymeria sighs then nods. “Fair enough. She’s in the library.”
Winter chuckles. “Of course she is.” He heads to the library, when she doesn’t follow he turns to her. “Come on, I don’t want to have to repeat everything.” Nymeria quickly catches up to him and the two of them go to the library where they find Twilight reading. “Excuse me Twilight?”
Twilight looks up from her book. “Winter how wonderful to see you back, Nymeria has been lonely without you. What can I help you with?”
“I wish to have a hornfasting ceremony performed for myself and Nymeria.”
Nymeria gasps then chants. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
“I wouldn’t know where to begin researching to perform a hornfasting ceremony.”
“I don't’ need you to perform it, I just need you to grant somepony else the authority to perform it.”
=========
The door to Diamond’s clubhouse opens, and the assembled ponies all stop their planning and look to Winter enter. “I’m back everypony, and I brought a few other ponies with me.” He enters the clubhouse fully and Nymeria and Twilight enter behind him.
Diamond, and Silver quickly bow and in unison say. “Princess.”
“I thought I’d been over this with everypony in Ponyville.” Twilight sighs and looks at the two fillies. “Will you two get up? I’d much prefer it if everypony would just forget the honorifics for the most part.”
“Sorry, habit.” Diamond says.
“Unlike our fiance’s we’re still not entirely use to the idea of addressing royalty so informally.” Silver says.
“It’s okay, I’m here on a little bit of business anyway.” Twilight says as she pulls a scroll out of her saddlebags. “Lieutenant Commander Ash Fall, step forward!”
Ash immediately snaps into military stance and steps forward. “Yes Ma’am!”
“By the power granted to me as a Princess of Friendship, I hereby give you the authority to perform the ceremony known as hornfasting, and raise your rank to Commander in recompence of your new duties.”
Ash salutes. “Duty accepted Ma’am! Thank you very much!”
Twilight smiles. “You’re welcome, now I have some paperwork to fill out to make this appointment official.” She leaves.
Winter looks at Ash. “Well Commander; what do you say?”
Ash chuckles. “I’d say we have a hornfasting to prepare for and I know just the place to hold it, right in the Everfree Forest .”
“Zecora has a clearing around her hut.” Apple Bloom says. “I bet we can use that.”
“That’s exactly what I have in mind.” Ash says. “I wonder, Apple Bloom would you mind telling Zecora what’s going on and seeing if she’d let us use her land?”
Apple Bloom nods. “I’ll go right now.” She runs off.
“Come on Nymeria.” Sweetie says. “I’m going to take you to see my sister, you need a dress for tonight.”
“Earthtones, for a hornfasting.” Ash says.
Sweetie nods. “That works, I have that green dress Rarity made for me, I think she could modify it for Nymeria by tonight.”
Ash nods and they head off. Next Ash grabs the pad he’d been scribbling on while they were discussing ideas. “Can you three take care of these details, while I get my new uniform and an appropriate outfit for Winter?”
Diamond takes the pad. "We'll get right on it."
==========
That evening, just before dusk they are all gathered outside Zecora’s hut. The trees around her hut are decorated with ribbons, and a path is made straight to Zecora’s door using ribbon. Ash stands right in front of Zecora’s door, a bonfire burns about two pony lengths in front of him. The witnesses all sit in the clearing around Zecora’s hut.
Winter and Nymeria walk together up the path and stop before the bonfire. “Let the bonfire represent the separate paths you have lead until now, please separate and walk around it, and join each other on the other side.” Ash commands.
Winter and Nymeria split off each walking around the fire arriving at the other side at the same time. “You have arrived at your destination. Winter and Nymeria, you are here today surrounded by nature, and your friends and family, all of whom are gathered to to witness your exchange of vows and to share in the joy of this occasion.”
==========
“Let it be known that from this day forth you two are united for a year and a day, if neither of you comes before anypony and says anything contrary, then at the end of that time you two shall be legally married.” Ash says as he finishes up the ceremony.