"Twiley!" came a friendly, male, voice from the door. "Surprise!" He looked back at his pink wife. "She actually hates surprises. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Cadance gently brushed past Shining. "This is not optional, dear. Twilight, are you at home?"

They were in the front area, and Twilight quickly moved to the door to let them in. "Hello, Cadance, hello Shining Armor." She nuzzled each of them lightly in turn, then gestured them inside.

Cadance shook her rump, which was plenty enough hint to start the proper greeting ceremony between herself and Twilight involving butterflies and further such shakes. The two laughing and clopping hooves against the others, the ritual completed. "Nice to see you, Twilight. Now, what is this I hear that you've gone from isolated to suddenly having a special somepony?"

Twilight nodded, smiling softly. "Yes, I'm in love." She turned to look towards Brad, who had been watching quietly from the side, and was now blushing softly. Twilight walked over to him, nuzzling his neck lightly.

Cadance allowed her vision to slip into the strange realm of relationships, where she could see the lines that attached ponies together. The threads that ran between Twilight and this new pony had no single color, as most, instead rainbow hued and brilliantly glowing in a way most didn't. She blinked her eyes, returning to normal sight, and gasped slightly. "Oh my! That's the strongest connection I've ever seen."

Shining Armor nodded slowly. "It is?" He couldn't see what Cadance had. "Gonna have to take your word for it, but I need to talk." He went up towards Brad with a purpose. "After all, you're dating my sister! So I can't approve of you until you prove your worthiness."

Brad looked from Twilight to Shining. "What sort of trial are we talking about here?"

Shining Armor smiled softly at that. "Well, we have a few options. We could wrestle, or play a game of O&O? Or I could take you to this art museum I know! What would you prefer?"

"I can do any of those?" Brad gestured at the door, inviting Shining to lead the way.

Cadance stepped between them. "Actually, dear." She turned and looked into the eyes of her husband. "As much as I respect what you're doing, there needs to be a few words first. I would rather he be around for them. You two can bond after that, I promise."

He gazed down at her. "You're going to ruin my fun, aren't you?"

"Yes. But, for now, you and Brad should go and have your guy talk, so the girls can talk with me." She pointed to the far side of the library, then turned back to Twilight. "So, my dear."

Twilight gestured at Cadance. "We should get Bella as part of our talk." She called out to Bella. "Bella, come on!" She gestured for her to join the trio. Once they were all assembled, she gave Cadance a quick summary of events.

Cadance nodded slowly, rubbing her chin in thought. "How unusual. I didn't imagine you going from nothing to a polyamorous arrangement, just like that." Peeking into the relations, she could see that dazzling rainbow thread between each of them. "You three have a unique bond. Part of me wants to say there's more here than just the magic of a good relationship."

"What else could there be?" Twilight tapped her hooves together lightly, trying to think it through, but not getting too far. "It's not a curse, is it?"

"No, not a curse." Cadance looked over each of the assembled three mares. "I'd say a blessing if anything, but I really can't say what it is exactly. Twilight, you had the elements, you felt the power of that connection. Has this one brought any similar abilities?"

Twilight tapped her hooves together lightly. "I don't think so?" She looked to Brad. "We've got a rainbow bridge, I guess." She pointed at the statue in Brad's hands. "And we can use this. Oh! Cadance, I'd love for you to try." She grabbed the statue in her magic and thrust it against Cadance. "Hold this and imagine yourself as a human."

Cadance did so, then looked down at herself. Nothing happened. "Huh." She offered it back to them.

Brad took it back. "Hasn't worked for anyone else besides us four, so far." He waved it at Twilight. "Warn a guy before you yank it away from them." He tucked it away in the pocket ponies just had.

Shining Armor cleared his throat. "I'm going to go outside. I think this is getting beyond what I want to talk about. Brad, you're welcome to join me."

Cadance gave her husband a look, but he was already gone, taking Brad with him. "At least they're close by. Now, what was this about a rainbow? Your connection does have a rainbow look to it, so tell me more, please."

Twilight gestured to Bella. "Bella can bring us together, and when we do, it creates a rainbow bridge that lets us cross between worlds." She gestured from one side to the other. "To a world of humans. Not Equestria High, a different one. That's where Brad's from. We've gone back and forth a number of times without issue."

Cadance slowly rubbed over her face with a hoof, considering the options. "Alright, that is very unusual. I imagine you want to know if that's something you'll keep? The way it feels, like the power of friendship, I'd say you will. I hope you do."

Twilight shook her head. "I see no reason to assume any of this is temporary. Oh, we can use that statue to become ponies, horses, or humans. But others can't. It's all fascinating, but we don't know what the 'key' is that allows us to do it."

Bella huffed lightly and looked at Twilight. "Maybe it has to do with the statue. If we had another pony statue, we might be able to make others shift."

RC rubbed her muzzle. "I doubt we're gonna find another statue that easily, Bells."

Twilight rubbed along Bella's mane lightly. "We can keep looking, but yes, it's not something we've seen many of around." She smiled as she rubbed over Bella's ears. "We'll figure it out. I'm sure there's a reason for all this, and we will find it."

Cadance inclined her head at the casual touches going on in front of her. "That answers another question before I asked it. Twilight, you're as much in love with these mares as you are with Brad?"

RC nudged in to hug Twilight from the side. "We're a unit. Sure, only Brad can do a certain something, but I love them all." RC looked to Twilight, then Bella, then back to Cadance. "And I think that love comes back to me."

Cadance laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Goodness, this is unorthodox, but what else would be expected? I just didn't think it would happen this way." She reached out and gave Twilight a hug, drawing her in. "You're all so cute, and I hope you have the best luck. I had been worried a moment that, never mind. If you all adore one another, good. I'd hope my sister was in a healthy relationship."

Bella stood up tall and proud. "We love each other, and we're going to have foals."

The other two looked stricken by how bluntly Bella had dropped that revelation.

Cadance looked between them several times before she spoke again. "Well. I had no doubts before, but now I'm sure you've made up your mind." She cleared her throat into a raised hoof. "Are you certain you each have one on the way, already?"

Bella rubbed over her belly lightly, smiling happily. "I know I am. The others probably are, too. I know I'm not very far along, but I feel it."

Cadance's ears shot up. "So certain. Twilight, have you even been formally wed? I certainly have not received an invitation to anything of the sort."

Twilight waved her hooves in a panic. "No! Nothing like that!" She took a moment to catch her breath. "We were just trying things out and, well," she shrugged, "I guess we tried hard enough that I ended up pregnant."

Cadance eyed Twilight with a sharply raised brow. "Trying things out? Twilight, I do not take you for a foal. You know how to avoid a foal if you wished to. You wanted this, I imagine, or not all three of you would be expecting this quickly. This is something you're ready for?"

Twilight nodded. "We've all discussed it. We want this. I do, anyway." She looked at the other two. "You two as well?"

Bella nodded, and RC did so as well.

RC spoke up, "If they're gonna be as adorable as you three, I'll love them all." She paused. "That came out wrong. I'll love them either way." She lifted a few inches up, wings easily holding her. "But, since you asked, no, we haven't been married or anything."

Cadance nodded slowly. "It seems I'll have to make sure you're taken care of. Twilight, come here please."

Twilight stepped in close to Cadance. "What is it? You're not angry at me, are you?"

"Angry?" Cadance reached out with her hooves. "No, but you are a princess. You can't go getting involved, even with just one, without letting other ponies know. These little rituals are just as much for them as they are for you. If you're all expecting foals, marriage becomes an urgent next step. We can't have foals out of wedlock, improper."

Twilight blushed fiercely and looked away. "I didn't realize it was that pressing." Her eyes went from Bella to RC, then back to Cadance. "But what if we're all married? Is that legal?"

Cadance waved that concern away. "If it is between consenting adult ponies, the rules around who married whom are pretty lax. Go ahead and check, I feel certain you will, but there isn't a single rule preventing it. There is no limit on how many ponies one may marry."

Bella rubbed Twilight's shoulder lightly, then looked at Cadance. "So if we want to marry one another, we can?

"Exactly. All ponies must want it, of course, but that is about the only requirement, besides being adults. We can't have foals marrying." Cadance gave Twilight a smile. "We can set up a date for it here, and I can even perform the ceremony personally." She offered out a hoof to them all. "As princess."

Twilight nodded. "Yes, you should do it. If it's going to happen, I'd want you there." She leaned in against Cadance. "You're the best sister a pony could ask for."

Bella leapt up in place. "Oh Oh! This is, I don't know what it is, but it feels exciting." She clapped her hooves together as if to release some of that nervous energy. "We'll tell everypony how much in love we are."

Cadance nodded at that. "You will. I'll send word to the others, but you'll have to send letters directly, Twilight. We'll let everypony know. And I'll make sure you have a wonderful wedding, all three of you." She paused. "Four. Brad will be there and enjoy it as well, of course. Speaking of that." She turned to RC and Bella. "If one of you would go out and inform Brad of our decisions?"

Bella nodded, heading towards the door. "I will." With that, she was outside, searching around for Brad. She spotted him with Shining Armor, and trotted over. "Brad!"

Back inside, Cadance chuckled softly. "I had a feeling she'd jump on a chance to give him the good news. Twilight, do you still have your coronation dress? It would work wonderfully for this occasion. I know it might seem a little much, but trust me."

Twilight nodded at her slowly. "It's in my room," she pointed up towards the bedroom. "But why that dress in particular? I'm not being coronated, again."

Cadance laughed at the objection. "It is not specifically tied to coronations. It's just a wonderful dress. We'll consult with Rarity to get your friends dresses and Brad a tuxedo of his own. We can't have any of you looking slovenly on this joyous occasion." She rubbed Twilight's shoulder lightly. "We're going to throw you a party, and I'm not taking no for an answer!"

Twilight blushed softly under the praise. "If you think this is proper." She laughed nervously. "I hadn't planned my wedding."

Cadance rolled her eyes at that. "Clearly. So I'm doing it for you." She turned towards RC. "Have you imagined how you might dress for such an occasion?"

"I've never been married." She twirled in the air. "But, if I am to be married, I want something cute and simple." She flapped her wings, an easy feat mid-flight. "Something I can still fly in."

Cadance rubbed over her muzzle lightly, thinking it through. "Of course. I'll speak with Rarity about it. It is possible to have a wedding without ruining your ability to do everything you normally can." She smirked a little. "Though one day looking your best on the ground wouldn't be that awful would it?" She spread her own wings. "Then again, I could still take flight in my own dress." She laughed lightly. "But then I don't go out of my way to fly around either."

Twilight inclined her head at those words. "That is fair enough, and it wasn't too bad to be in that dress while walking." She coughed into a hoof. "I had to march quite a bit during the whole coronation process."

Cadance nodded at that. "Yes, well, you survived." She chuckled again. She reached out to rub Twilight's mane gently. "They're going to make wonderful foals. Enjoy every moment you have with them, because they grow up fast." She shook her head. "I'm getting ahead of myself. Wedding first. Also, don't mention the foals, kindly. If we get the ceremony out of the way swiftly enough, we can just pretend the foals started afterwards."

Twilight thought it through. "We don't know if there's an easy way to say exactly when it happened." Twilight shook her head. "So, I think you're right, we shouldn't say anything to anypony else about how soon it is."

Cadance nodded slowly in turn. "You two did it to yourself, and we can't change the past, but yes, we'll make sure this all works." She turned for the door. "I'll go speak with Rarity, then Pinkie. She knows how to plan a party, and what is a wedding if not a formal one of those?"

Author's Note

Cadance leaps into action as she gets a grasp of the situation. Princesses do not do this without the proper displays!

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