Moon made a note with a floating quill. "Fascinating." She turned the quill towards Bella. "You and Brad were the starters. You initiated the rainbow bridge, but the others are connected to it. There must be ways they can direct it." She made a fresh note. "Twilight." Twilight looked up towards her. "I'd like you to ride Bella, as a horse, and attempt it a few times."

Twilight blinked, then let out a little giggle at Moondancer's words, though she couldn't say exactly why they'd struck her funny. "Okay, I can do that."

Bella grinned at them. "I would love to give Twilight a ride." She grew large, becoming the horse she was born as. She tried to continue speaking, but a strange neigh was the result as she tried to make her horse throat produce unnatural sounds. She shook her head and turned, throwing her head towards her back.

Twilight scrambled onto Bella, settling into the spot between shoulders and neck. "There we go." She spread her wings, flapping lightly to get herself into proper balance on Bella's back. She let out a low breath to steady her nerves, then closed her eyes to concentrate on her magical core.

Moondancer moved in and began taking measurements. She trotted past the two towards the outside. "There's not enough space in here. Go outside so you don't break anything, okay?" She pointed at the door with her quill.

Bella turned to leave and Twilight wobbled on her back. Twilight looked down with a little squeak. "Uh, Bella? I need some reins or something."

Brad laughed, returning to human form just to hold Twilight from the ground as Bella walked. "Just take it easy, and remember all of her is a good grip, but don't pull her mane, that's mean. You know Bella, she doesn't want you to get hurt."

Twilight took a deep breath. "You're right." She spread out, lying down on Bella's back so she had more surface area with her. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. "I'll try to have more faith in her. She wouldn't let me get hurt."

Moon chuckled at her as she watched. "She is quite strong. I don't think she's going to lose you. A unicorn on a horse. Now there's something I've never seen before, in history books or anywhere else." She made a little note of that for future readers to see in one of those future books. "Now, Bella, please do what you do to summon the rainbow. Twilight, see if you can influence the rainbow as it forms in any way."

Bella nodded, then lowered her head. She took a deep breath in and trotted ahead. She sped up a little with every step, working towards that full gallop that would allow things to continue. Twilight rubbed a hoof down, a sign that she was secure and ready. With that signal, Bella took a great leap and came down on the prismatic surface of a rainbow.

She vanished, becoming a pony with Twilight arriving an instant later to squash her. "Oof! Look!" She pointed at where the rainbow led, which wasn't infinitely high into the sky towards Earth. It sloped right back down at the city on the mountain. "Did you do that?!"

Twilight blinked. "I felt the bridge's magic, but didn't think I could change anything."

Moon trotted up and made a note of this event. "You did change it. This is fascinating. I've never seen one stretch between here and Canterlot before." She tilted her head up towards it. "But if you can direct the bridge, that is a considerable talent, and expands when it might be used." She considered Twilight and Bella. "You just needed a fresh set of eyes to consider it."

Twilight trotted up to Moon and hugged her. "Thank you for being those eyes."

Bella joined a moment later, not needing much prompting to hug a friend. "Oops." With the rainbow empty of walkers, it vanished. "I forgot that. Um, we can make it again if we want?"

Moon laughed softly and pulled away. "Yes, I think we should. Let me get in contact with princess Celestia and inform her of this development so she doesn't panic when a rainbow lands near the castle." She paused. "Oh, Twilight. What part of Canterlot were you envisioning when you directed the rainbow?"

Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof, then shook her head. "No idea. I didn't think anything, I just remembered Canterlot as a whole, not a specific spot in it."

Moon shook a hoof. "Unacceptable." She turned to Twilight fully. "Next time, be as specific as you can. One, to make sure you can direct the bridge with precision. Two, so we can tell ponies where to expect it." She curled a hoof to her chin. "Like just in front of the castle, a little ahead of the guards that stand there."

Twilight blushed and sputtered. "You want me to land on the guard?"

Moon rolled her eyes. "In front." She turned to Bella and nodded towards the distance. "Either ride Twilight one more time, or gallop aside her. You've proven that can also work. Make the bridge. Twilight, focus on that spot in front of the guards." She moved off to one side. "I'll contact the princesses. Try not to break anything."

Twilight nodded, rubbing her hoof over Bella's back gently. "Shall we?"

Bella bobbed her head. "Let's just gallop this time. I could feel you were scared."

"I wasn't scared!" Twilight laughed tensely. "Just cautious. It was my first time directing a horse, even if she was a dear dear friend." She hugged Bella briefly. "But, if you want to gallop together, I'm alright with that too."

They waited as Moondancer made contact with the princesses, then went through the steps again to form the rainbow bridge towards Canterlot. This time, it stretched out to the castle, then curved down to land right in front of the guard. Not that they could know for sure until they saw it.

This was something Bella was excited to do, cantering in place. "Let's go! We'll go over the bridge this time and see where it goes!"

Twilight nodded eagerly. "Yes! I want to show off this discovery to Celestia and Luna! Come on!" She bounced off. "Last one to Canterlot buys ice cream!"

Bella was eager to charge alongside Twilight, but she looked unsure all the same. "I don't have money, Twilight. Do I have to buy you an ice cream? I'd like to, if I could."

Twilight bumped sidelong into Bella with a laugh. "Well, for one, don't lose. But I wouldn't be mad at you for not doing something you just can't. Focus on that bridge." She took her own advice, imagining that specific spot a bit ahead of the guards. She imagined the smooth cobbles beneath their hooves and the quiet murmur of passing ponies. She knew that spot.

The rainbow bridge formed, and she leapt up onto it without a second thought, knowing it'd be there to catch her hooves. Bella's own clacking followed a moment later, her head whipping back and forth as she gawked at everything around. "Our journey begins." Twilight pointed ahead, then started a lively trot. "Let's see where the bridge goes. Ready?" At Bella's nod, she started to run.

Their hooves pounded against the rainbow road, sending them dashing along the rainbow. The air sang past their ears, the sound making Bella's mane dance wildly about her head. Just like when it went between worlds, it went up before it came down, and coming down allowed one to either run along it or, as Twilight opted, to slide down the side on hooves held up and wings out for balance. Bella slid after her, trying not to crash into Twilight as they both made it down to Canterlot.

The city of Canterlot was a gleaming white castle resting upon a mountain, with buildings surrounding that primary castle. That castle had two guards standing watch, both startled as Twilight and Bella landed in front of them in an ungainly and laughing pile. "Your highness!" One rushed to Twilight's side. "Are you alright? Did a flying lesson go awry?"

Twilight laughed and shook her head. "Not at all! This is exactly what it was supposed to do." She pushed Bella off herself, then stood again. She pointed a hoof backwards at the bridge. But, it was gone. "Right. We can summon that rainbow, and I directed it here. I apologize if that startled." She shook herself clean. "I need to speak to the princesses right away. Are they in the castle throne room?"

The guard nodded, though looked concerned. "We will escort you, your highness. If you're sure it was intentional, we shouldn't have a problem."

Bella stood beside Twilight, eyes wandering curiously over the castle and the city beyond it. Everything was new and worthy of gawking at. "This is amazing."

Twilight threw a hoof over Bella, keeping her close as they walked along past the grand windows and other pieces of art that decorated that hallway. "I'm past due to show Princess Celestia what I've been up to."

Bella trotted alongside Twilight, though her head was still tilted to one side or another to look around the hall. "It's like your library, but much more fancy." She paused beside a painting, head cocked at it, then she nodded and turned away. "I don't understand all of it, but it all seems important to be in such a, um." She struggled to find the word as she walked along. "Proper? place."

Twilight chuckled softly and gently pulled her closer. "That's why we're here. So you can ask all about that with somepony who knows all about this stuff. I'm pretty sure Celestia was there when most of it happened." She mused a moment. "Oh! You don't know who Princess Celestia is. If you think I'm in charge, she's in charge of me, and everything! She's the pony at the very top, but she rules with wisdom and kindness."

Bella nodded slowly. "She sounds like a nice headmare. I will introduce myself then." She cantered in place. "That's only polite. Does she like bumping heads or is she more of a stand nearby and sniff gently kind of mare?"

Twilight shook her head and chuckled. "Not quite either of those. You bow to her, but she really is nice. Even if you don't, she probably won't even be mad, but, um, it's a habit of mine." She laughed nervously thinking about it. "I don't, technically, have to, being a princess like her, but I already know I wi—"

"Twilight, it's lovely to see you." Celestia was approaching them with her gentle smile. "And you've brought a new friend."

Twilight dropped into a proper bow. "Princess! Always lovely to see you."

"You won't see much of me down there." She raised a hoof just under Twilight's chin, directing her up. "Dear Twilight, I apologize for not being at your wedding. I wanted to be there, more than anything, but it came so suddenly." She shook her head. "But here you are, and I am delighted. Tell me, who is this eager pony beside you?"

Bella had bowed as well, though she was more curious about Celestia herself. Her gaze roamed over the grand form with interest. The wings were as magnificent as Twilight's, if not more so. She'd seen an alicorn before, so that wasn't what had her looking. She sniffed in the princess' scent and hummed softly. She stood, but kept her ears flat and head low. "Hello, um. I'm Bella, miss headmare. You run a very lovely herd with so many ponies."

Celestia inclined her head. "I haven't heard it called that, but, I suppose, that isn't a wrong way of considering it. Equestria is my herd, and I do my part to ensure they are all happy in it. Twilight?"

Twilight squeaked. "Y-yes. This is Bella, as she said. She is also my wife."

Celestia blinked at that, but calm returned to her swiftly. "Your wife? I hadn't even heard you were dating, but married?" Her gaze drifted to Bella. "I was unaware Twilight was seeing anypony. You have my congratulations." She turned to walk, gesturing with a wing for the other two to join her. "We should talk, in a less open space." She led the two to one of her sitting rooms, where tea and cookies already waited. "Please, take a seat."

Author's Note

Twilight has a part to play, being able to direct the rainbow where she wants it. A handy little trick, isn't it?

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