"There you are." The crowd was just starting to disperse, allowing Twilight Sparkle to approach easily. "I've been searching for you for some time." She smiled at Brad, her horn glowing with magic as she lifted a scroll from behind her back. "I took the liberty of writing up some questions about your stay here in Ponyville and everything you've seen so far."

Bella casually captured her scroll in her great teeth and walked off with it, leaving Twilight stunned a moment. "But. Stella!" She fumed at the great horse, but didn't challenge them. "Fine." She turned back to Brad. "I heard that another pony was standing on the rainbow bridge! Tell me everything. I've been wondering about how that would work, given my failure to do the same."

Brad found himself sucked into a lengthy conversation with the very curious unicorn. It felt like it might go on forever, at least until Twilight paused mid-statement to burst into bright lights of all hues. Brad backed away with confusion, which let him see that RC was caught in approach, also glowing. "What the—" And the rainbows came for him as well, and all he could see and think was the power of those rainbows. He didn't see Bella overcome by this same strange force.

It lasted a moment that felt like it went forever, filling them with a sense of euphoric perfection before it shattered, bits of rainbows falling around them. "Woah." Spike fell off Twilight. "That was intense."

Twilight looked down at herself. "No time to think about that! You know what this means!" She almost seemed to vibrate with excitement. "Oh, we have so much to do. We should go to my library right now." She danced in place and broke into a full gallop, leaving the rest behind.

Brad offered a hand towards the abandoned Spike. "You okay?"

"M'fine." Spike stood and adjusted his back. "Thanks." He trotted after Twilight, doing his best to keep up.

Brad let him go, following more slowly. RC fell in at his side. "You have any idea what that just was?"

RC shook her head. "Not a clue, but it left a mark on Bella?"

"Wha?" He turned to Bella, following on his other side. Back on her rump, she had a cutiemark. It was a brightly colored rainbow. This was nothing compared to the glittering stripe that ran through her mane and tail. It was a stripe of rainbow colors that did not belong on any horse of Earth origin. "Bella, you okay?"

She was fine. She just huffed, but he felt like he knew that. She was fine, and she wanted a little petting. So he did that, rubbing her with an unsure smile. "If you're sure?" He could feel something off about her now, though he couldn't say what. Something had changed. It felt as if they were more connected than before.

He almost stopped dead in his tracks at that thought, and not just because it came from outside himself. "Spike?" But he had already gone ahead. "We have to catch up with Twilight and Spike. They might have a clue what's going on." He looked to RC and felt he understood a bit more about her as well, for good or bad. "Stop thinking about me like that."

She made a rude noise at him. "Stop listening in on my thoughts then!"

"It's hard not to!" He touched the cutiemark on Bella's side. "What did this?"

RC shrugged. "My only clue is the rainbow show we just all had. Let's catch up with Twilight." She flapped her wings as she hurried into a trot after Twilight. "Come on, Bella!"

Bella happily kept pace, following RC through the streets.

The walk to Twilight's library was a brief one, and they found her waiting at the door. "We need to get you measured." She took a tape measure in her magic and quickly looped it around him, beginning to take measurements of his height and any other part she seemed to be thinking of on the fly with thoughtful hums.

Bella chuffed. "I know." Twilight waved them inside, understanding Bella in that pony speak they seemed to have with the horse. "I just want to be aware of any changes."

Bella whinnied more forcefully.

Twilight turned and looked at her properly for the first time that evening. "Oh." She was clearly confused. "How long has she had a cutiemark?"

"Just since the rainbow thing." He gestured vaguely. "Whatever that was. Is it... bad?"

"No!" Twilight closed with Bella and circled her curiously. "Fascinating. Have you experienced any other changes I may not have seen?"

RC pointed at Brad. "I think he can read my mind?"

"Can he?" Twilight looked at Brad pointedly, thinking complex magical facts that Brad had no hope of understanding, but he knew she was thinking them.

He swallowed and hesitated a moment. "Something like that. Um, you're thinking about something complicated?"

She nodded slowly. "Interesting." She raised her head. "This may not be relevant, but it does help with an ongoing hypothesis." Twilight nodded with obvious thought. "Ah! RC, is it one way?"

RC shook her head. "I can also feel you thinking about really complicated stuff. Brad's just being confused. Bella's wondering why we're upset, like she knows what's going on, but she isn't sharing."

Bella snorted. Brad knew she was amused.

Twilight tapped at her chin. "This is only more fascinating by the moment. There is just one more test I want to perform, with your permission? Brad, Bella? Could you make the rainbow bridge for me?"

"Sure." Brad guided Bella outside, speaking gently to her as they went. "Up for a little hop?" She whickered in what seemed like a yes and he hopped up onto her. "Alright, one bridge, coming up. Rainbow bridge, please."

The pair set off, running hard and fast. Soon, the bridge had appeared in front of them. Bella slowed to a halt and looked back.

Twilight had been following behind them at a decent clip, but there was no way she could have kept up. Still, she came trotting up beside them. "Incredible! This is all incredible!" She trotted right past, up onto the bridge. She bounced from hoof to hoof there. "It's holding me up this time!"

RC climbed up onto the bridge after her, peering down. "Yep, still holds me."

As if called, Bella stepped up, carrying Brad along with her. All four of them were on the bridge, and it wasn't collapsing, nor dropping any of them. Brad relaxed. "I guess the rules changed a little?"

Twilight nodded in agreement. "They did indeed." She grinned up at Brad. "I think I may be getting a handle on this." She put a hoof on her own chest. "I feel like we've been connected, somehow. I could already understand Bella when she spoke, but that understanding is stretching beyond her words."

RC inclined her head. "I got that too, yeah." She rolled her eyes. "Also, she is one filthy mare. The vibes she puts off when a stallion goes past? She should be ashamed."

Bella did not look at all bothered.

Brad looked bothered on her behalf. "This isn't normal, and how am I going to pass Bella off as a normal horse when she's all glittery." He noticed something new. "Even her hooves are sparkling!"

"It's fine." Twilight couldn't look more pleased. "We will simply tell everyone that Bella got caught in a magical explosion."

Brad slid off Bella with a groan. "There are no magical explosions back where I'm from, Twilight."

"There aren't?" Twilight looked properly befuddled at the very idea. "Curious."

RC laughed as she thumped against Twilight on the way back down the bridge, sliding the last few inches. "His world is way less colorful than this one. No magic, no ponies. Just a lot of Brads worried about their jobs."

Twilight looked towards the ground. "Sounds... dreadful."

"Oh, it's not that bad." He couldn't argue much more than that. "I guess it's kinda dull by comparison." He offered his hands, catching Twilight and setting her down. His little ruffle of her mane made her tense, and he knew she liked it. It was a good feeling, and she wanted more, but she didn't want to ask for it.

Still, he knew she wanted it, so he kept gently stroking through her mane and scritching behind her ears. She became a melted puddle of pony happiness. "Thanks," she murmured with a tired smile.

RC flopped onto the ground in front of them. "Twilight?" She snickered gently. "I swear. Brad! Stop seducing ponies with those amazing fingers of yours."

"I'm not trying!" He gave her a light swat to her rump. "Besides, you're the one that keeps looking up at me all doe-eyed. I just want to pet you."

RC stuck out her tongue at that. "You don't understand how nice being pet is. I think you could just ask a pony for marriage and if you included those innocent pets, they'd probably say yes." She fluttered her lashes. "Including me."

Brad rubbed under her chin. "But what about Bella? You know, she's only just gained a cutiemark and now you're throwing yourself at me?" He paused as he looked back at Bella.

Bella huffed, and he somehow knew she had no interest in Brad that way. She wanted a strong and strapping stallion to keep her company in that way, though a good brushing was nice once in a while.

He shrugged lightly. "Well, at least that's clear."

"What's clear?" Twilight perked up, making happy noises as he continued his ministrations. "Don't stop! Mmm, what is clear?"

Brad played with her twitching ear. "You're distracted, but Bella says my petting doesn't affect her the same way, even if she likes the attention. She has no interest in me besides the normal interest between a faithful horse and their rider, and I'm okay with that."

RC snorted softly. "That's pretty obvious from how she watches Big Mac whenever he's around. I'm not surprised. It's clear he can see it too." She looked up at him with a big smile. With all of them off the bridge, it vanished in a fading rainbow sparkle. "Now, Missus Knows Everything, got any more big ideas about this?"

Twilight huffed at that. "My ideas are rarely 'big'. Most of the time they are just a tiny bit of light, to shine in the dark places." She chuckled at her own words, just to dissolve into a little purr at Brad's attentions. "As I was saying, no. We barely understand what's happening. Still! It seems to clearly involve all of us."

"Right, so I should probably go home and get back to work?" He gently pulled his hands away from Twilight. "If I'm going to be distracted, I should at least have a paycheck for it."

RC pouted at that. "That's not the right answer! You're connected to all these mares." She pointed to Twilight, Bella, then herself. "And you're going to run away? Boo! No, hang around. Besides, your buddy's not rushing home."

Brad couldn't argue with that logic, which meant he didn't. He just scratched RC behind the ears. "I can't help but think this will end badly. I've never had a good long-distance relationship."

RC leaned against the soft touches. "So make it not long distance? You want to hang around? You heard them. We'll get you a house. You're welcome here, Brad."

Twilight sat up, recovering from all the attention. "Since you brought it up, where is Miguel?"

"Uh..." He hadn't actually kept an eye on his friend since the party. He didn't know where he'd gotten off to.

As if on cue, Miguel appeared. He came walking around the corner of a building, Applejack at his side. He was speaking Spanish with her in friendly tones, and laughing about something. He didn't notice the gathered ponies, or even Bella until they were upon him. "Hola!"

Brad greeted him with a grin. "Welcome back, Miguel." He nodded at Applejack. "Nice to see you again, AJ. Getting along with Miggy?"

AJ tipped her hat. "Sure am. A right polite gent. Talks a little funny at times, but, shoot, ponies say the same 'bout me, can't hardly fault that."

Miguel shook his head and spat at the ground in utter contempt. "Brad! Amigo! I'm giving you one last chance." He held up a hand, ticking off the points on his fingers. "If you don't let me keep Roswell, then I won't let you keep these horses. There, I said it."

Brad looked baffled a moment. "Your horse? You want to, what, bring them here? I imagine most don't want to go charging over a rainbow, and can they? Roswell's good, but only Bella does the rainbow dance, so far as I know."

AJ snorted softly. "Now, don't be in such a hurry to say no." She looked to Twilight. "Any ideas?"

"Actually." She put a hoof to her chest. "It seems the rainbow is strengthened by our proximity." She pointed to Brad, RC, Bella, then herself. "So, if we're all there, maybe we could transport this earth horse."

Miguel put a hand on Applejack's side, resting it there comfortably. "That's what I'm asking. So, let me do my part. You did your end. You shared this amazing world with me. Let me bring Roswell here. Besides, she deserves to see this too. Maybe she can do the rainbow thing like Bella. You didn't know until you tried, si?"

Author's Note

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