Finding Your Family

All of Ponyville was in an uproar. As the last of the preparations fell into place, Dragon Lord Ember herself showed up with a royal entourage. While Thorax was a somewhat common sight in Ponyville, he and Twilight dressed up in full regalia was far less common.

Even to creatures that had nothing to do with it, this wedding was a big deal. While a lot of the core services of Ponyville were going to remain open for the day, others were shutting down. Sweet Apple Acres, for example, would be closing their gates to all but invited guests. Sugarcube Corner was closing down to cater the reception. Rarity's Carousel Boutique would even be closed on the day, as Yona was filling a special order and had to focus on making a new dress, and couldn't run the shop at the same time. She was still an apprentice, after all.

After the rehearsal, everyone went back home, rather than going out to eat. Spike could tell that Thorax wanted to give his speech, but the rest of them wanted to save that for the wedding itself, so the guests could hear it. It just wouldn't hit the same if only the wedding party were allowed to hear it. Twilight had promised to go over it again with him, though, if he wanted to practice.

"Are you nervous?" asked Scootaloo when she and Spike came upstairs. "It's okay if you are."

"A bit," nodded Spike. "This is a big change."

"It's a big change for me, too," assured Scootaloo. "I'm nervous. But there's something I use to fight it."

"Oh?"

Scootaloo pulled Spike in close and stared into the middle distance that was the window at the end of the hallway. "There I was, twenty metres in the air. The chill of the wind rippled across my skin. My heart was pounding in my chest. I didn't know if I could do it. Everything seemed to make sense, but I'd never even practiced this move. But it was time.

"Kicking off the back wall, I started careening down the ramp, keeping my mass tight and low, building up as much speed as I possibly could. The air whistled in my ears, the bugs splattered against my chest, and my tail whipped behind me.

"And then came the dip. The sudden shift in gravity threw me off-balance, and at the end of the ramp, I had turned ten degrees off course. My Scooter flew one way, and I flew the other. I ploughed face-first into the ground."

"That sounds terrifying!" gasped Spike. "How is that supposed to calm my nerves?"

"It isn't," answered Scootaloo. "It just provides context. What's actually supposed to calm you is this: I walked away from that crash. Aunty Lofty wouldn't let me even climb up the ramp without my helmet and pads, and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were close when they guessed where I would land and almost managed to drag the mattress over. I was okay, because the ponies I loved were there to protect me. And when we come back down from that altar, they're going to be right there by our side."

"That... Actually, yeah, that does make me feel better."

"We just had the rehearsal. You did well at the practice session. We're going to have an officiant guiding us through line-by-line. Our vows are written out on paper that we'll have, and can just read if you forget. Even then, if we mess up, we can just roll with it. No one's going to care that much if you forget a line. You could even forget my name, and blame it on stress or pressure to perform. Just do your best."

Spike shuffled in place. "Are you sure you won't be mad if I forget your name?"

"Oh, I'll be pissed. But I'll probably forgive you, eventually... That doesn't mean just do it, though."

"Well, I'll just have to come up with something else," smiled Spike, scooping her up. "Something to make this big day more memorable."

"Oh, stop," waved Scootaloo, wrapping her tail around his waist. "It'll be memorable enough with all of the work we put into it."

"Now," Spike closed the door with his tail, "what do we have here? A delicate, unwed dragoness in the prime of her youth?"

"And what's this? A big strong drake in gleaming scales, ready to ravish her all night long?"

"Maybe," answered Spike. "We really should find some time for sleep, though."

"We can sleep after," huffed Scootaloo, leaning in for a kiss. "Right now, I want you to take me."

"As you wish," smirked Spike, lowering her to the bed. He slid down her body, kissing her as he went, until his claws reached her curled-up toes.

"You're not going to mount me?" she asked.

"Consider that my reward for doing a good job at the ceremony," answered Spike before digging his tongue into her.

"An extra vow," breathed Scootaloo. "I like it..."

Spike said nothing, but smiled in response. His mouth was better utilized in another task, and he was going to ensure that it was done properly. From the fork in his tongue pressing against her clitoris to his claws pushing her legs back and apart for deeper, wider access, he buried his snout between her thighs.

When she was done, he gave her a second climax with his claws before curling up around her. She could feel him throbbing against her thigh with every fifth pound of her heart in her chest, but she was content to just leave it as it lay. If Spike wanted to wait until he'd done the ceremony proper, she'd support him. If having something to look forward to would remind him to ensure that he did it right, then she would oblige him. In the meantime, she drifted off to sleep. She was ready for her big day.

But Spike was still nervous. He'd wanted to exude an air of confidence, as a show to Scootaloo that he was ready, but in truth, he was terrified. This was, without a doubt, a big step, and any small stumble could see him messing up everything they'd worked toward. If everything was about to change, and it inevitably would, what if that change only made things worse? After all, if everything was already perfect, wouldn't a big change make it worse?

He pulled Scootaloo close to his chest. He'd lost her before, and he almost had a second time. He didn't know if he could handle a third.