Eternally, Yours

"Hey Twilight," Rainbow said, taking a break from the weights, drenched in a sheen of sweat all over her athletic body, and taking a seat on the workout bench in her home. She took a sip from her water bottle as Twilight leaned against the doorway. "What's up?"

"Hi Rainbow," she replied, taking a step forward in her high heels, dressed in a casual but elegant grey blouse and knee-length skirt, "You have a minute?"

"Yeah, I can take a break. This the kinda thing I need to shower up for?"

"Heh, maybe, this the kinda thing where I'd like to be more comfortable."

"Everything ok, Twi?"

"Yeah, it's nothing bad or anything!" Twilight assured Rainbow, "It's just really personal, is all. But important for you to know."

"Like, this a secret?"

"Well, not to my best friends," Twilight explained with a smile, "You're just the first one I've talked to."

"Really now? Must be something pretty great if you went to me, first," she chuckled as she took a towel and dried off the sweat from her body, dabbing over her workout tank top, her belly, and her face, then stretching, "Well lemme shower, and you get comfortable in the living room," she said, "Won't take too long!"

Twilight watched Rainbow stand up and briskly head into her bathroom. The sounds of the shower started soon afterwards as Twilight turned around and made her way into Rainbow Dash's living room. Adorned with posters and memorabilia of the Wonderbolts and her time training with them, including a display case of her trainee uniform, and not to mention a picture of her win at the Best Young Flyer's Competition all that time ago. Twilight couldn't help but smile, as it felt like so long ago that it happened, well before she received her own pair of wings. She sat and leaned back as she pondered once more over how to word what she wanted to say to Rainbow. She wondered if even saying this at all was necessary, thinking to Luna's words. Perhaps this conversation, she imagined, might end with Rainbow wondering what was so important about this that it required a sit-down conversation.

She shook her head. No, this warranted a sit-down conversation. This was Twilight's life, Twilight's new reality. How could she not tell her best friends about her marriage?

Her horn lit up and opened the fridge from across the room, into the barely-visible kitchen from her seat at the couch, and pulled out a glass of lemon flavored sparkling water, floating it across the room. She took it in her hands and sipped it, contemplating once more how she might word what she had to say to one of her closest friends. Marriage! Such a beautiful thing to say she had in her future, yet at the same time, keeping it private from Equestria. From even her newer friends at the Wonderbolts! Was this selfishness? Putting her own happiness over that of others?

The sounds of the shower stopped, and Twilight knew she needed to come up with something soon. Her heart beat faster as she bit her lip, tapping her foot on the ground, as she thought, going through all possible permutations of this imminent conversation. Then, she remembered the breathing exercise Cadance gave her a long while ago, and took a deep breath, gesturing inwards with her arm, then breathing out slowly, gesturing outwards. A wave of increased, yet not total calm, washed over her like a cool wave. As Rainbow appeared, dressed in a long tee shirt that extended down to just above her knees, and a frazzled just-out-of-the-shower mane and tail, Twilight smiled as Rainbow sat down, and Twilight took a sip of her drink.

"So, what's up?" Rainbow asked.

"I wanted to ask you something," Twilight began.

"Uh-huh," Rainbow said, cocking an eyebrow, incredulously.

"If, say, someone were to be doing a life-changing thing with someone they care about very much, something good, mind you, but they were clear that nobody else could know about it... would that make you upset?"

"Why would that make me upset? I mean, it's something that makes them happy! I mean, you know we can keep a secret. How long would we need to keep this secret? Like... this a wedding or a foal on the way kinda deal?"

Twilight hesitated, holding her hands together, biting her lip.

"...Forever."

Rainbow's face fell slightly.

"Twilight, is this something bad? I mean you're my best friend and all, and I'll stick by you no matter what, but is it that bad?"

"No, no, no, it's nothing bad!" Twilight assured Rainbow, "It's just that, well, the other ponies involved in this don't want anyone but those closest to me to hear about it."

Rainbow's face returned to a more neutral, if contemplative expression.

"Got it, so, this isn't something you'd get in trouble over."

"Not... really?" Twilight said, "nobody's getting hurt or anything, but it's the kind of thing that, well, some ponies might look upon disapprovingly, if you catch my drift."

"Ah, so like, if it turned out that, say, Spitfire was shacking up with Soarin. They're not getting hurt but it would just be bad for their reputation. Or the Wonderbolts'."

"Just like that, yes."

"Well, all right, Twi, spill it! I'm really curious, now."

Twilight let out a deep breath and looked straight forward at Rainbow, leaning forward.

"Well, ok. Just, you can't tell anyone but Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack about this."

"Got it."

"Pinkie Promise, Rainbow."

"Right. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," she recited, doing the appropriate gestures to accompany.

"Ok. I'm," Twilight began, before taking a sip of her drink, hoping to calm herself, "I'm getting married!" she said, her expression changing excitedly.

"Hey! That's amazing Twilight!" Rainbow said excitedly, reaching over to give her a hug.

Twilight leaned into the squeeze and returned the gesture, and then pulled apart.

"But, wait, why's this gotta be a secret? And who're you marrying? You've never talked about dating anypony."

"I'm marrying Princess Celestia," Twilight finally blurted out, leaving a stunned expression on Rainbow's face, "and I'm also marrying Luna. And Cadance. At the same time."

Had Rainbow been carrying anything in her hands, her expression gave Twilight the impression that she might have dropped it.

"Wha... is that, is that even allowed?"

"It's not a legally binding marriage like the one our parents have, it's more informal. The ceremony and the love is all real, but it's not like we'll have a marriage certificate or anything like that. But, gosh, Rainbow, it's hard to describe it! Being an alicorn really made me realize how much I love Celestia, and how just being near her makes me feel happy! And there's this whole thing where just being an alicorn draws you to being with other alicorns, and Luna and Cadance also make me feel so happy and so loved in a way I never thought existed outside of some romance novels! Ahh, and the thing is, they're all married to each other, too! I looked it up, apparently that's called 'polyamory' and..." Twilight trailed off as she noticed Rainbow's incredulous, shocked expression had not faded. "Uh, sorry," she managed to say, "I'm just really excited about this, and I wanted to tell everyone I know, but I had to promise that word wouldn't get out to the general public."

Rainbow leaned back a little and looked down, processing what she just heard, and put a hand to her mouth, as if trying to force herself to say something.

"I mean, congratulations," she finally managed to say, "I just, all of them? And they're already married to each other?"

"Like I said, not officially. Just a ceremony with no legal meaning, but all the same emotional meaning. Still with the rings and all."

"And they're all OK with that?"

"Of course! Why would they do that if they weren't all OK with it?"

"I mean, I just can't believe it, really! I'm really happy for you, but I never imagined you'd marry a princess, much less all three of them! I always knew you were close with Celestia, but like, marriage? I guess I just never really saw it coming, you know?"

Twilight nodded.

"It came as a surprise to me, too. Do you remember when I was having trouble sleeping for the longest time just after I became an alicorn? Apparently that's because alicorns need to be around each other on an emotional level, and being so far away from Canterlot made me feel that way, restless. I can only imagine how Celestia must have felt when Luna was away for so long, but, now we're all here, in a big happy polycule! That's what a relationship with more than one pony involved is called, by the way."

"I see why they make you so happy, then," said Rainbow, "And why you'd want to keep this secret, but like, are you going to move to Canterlot?"

"Oh no! Well, not permanently, anyway. I still love you guys as friends! I wouldn't want to spend all my time in Canterlot, but I just will be spending more time with the princesses is all. I'll still live at Golden Oaks while I'm here in Ponyville. I'm thinking it'll be an even 50/50 split of time spent here versus time spent with the princesses."

"Well Twilight, I'm really happy for you, like I said," Rainbow said with a smile, "Just still trying to get over the fact that you're marrying all the princesses, heh. So, yeah, I'll keep your secret, Twi. I just think the others are going to have much the same reaction as I did. It's a lot to process, you know?"

"It is," Twilight said, "But really, you and the others are the closest friends I've ever had, and if anyone can keep my secret, I know you all could."

"Hey, you know me, Twi. I'll be by your side no matter what. Want me to help with telling the others? You seemed real nervous telling me."

"Not for nothing, you should've seen the look on your face!" Twillight chuckled, "But yes, that would be a very big help for me."

"You got it Twilight," Rainbow agreed as she reached over a fist towards her friend. Twilight bumped it with her own, and they both smiled at each other. "Well, I'm gonna get something to drink," Rainbow added, standing up, "You want anything?"

"Just another sparkling water, thanks," Twilight said as she watched Rainbow casually stride towards the kitchen, while Twilight finished the bottle she nursed during the conversation. "You know, now that I think about it," Twilight called out, "we could make this a sleepover? You know Pinkie's gonna want to make this into a party of some kind."

"That sure does sound like her," Rainbow agreed, "I think making this something upbeat for all of 'em will help it go down better. Maybe skip the whole 'being shocked and confused' bit that I went through."

"Sounds like a plan! Want me to let everyone else know?"

"Yeah, go right ahead. I'm gonna go get some food ready. Some frozen pizza with haybacon should do the trick," she mused as she pulled out a bottle of sparkling water for Twilight and a bottle of cider for herself, "got a few in the freezer, should be plenty for the six of us."

Twilight leaned back as she used her magic to levitate the bottle of sparkling water across the room to herself, popping it open and taking a sip. A flash of her horn produced a quill and paper, with which she used to write a letter to the other four friends out and about.

"My dearest friends,

I have an important announcement to make! However, it is a big secret, so do keep this to yourselves. If anyone asks, just tell them I'm inviting you for a sleepover, because you are! At Rainbow Dash's house! Come at your earliest convenience and bring drinks!

Your dearest friend,
-Twilight Sparkle."

Finishing the note, she magically delivered four copies of it to Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack instantaneously.

Within two hours, all four of the remaining Elements of Harmony arrived at Rainbow's home, where Twilight and Rainbow both helped carry the three flightless ponies up to the cloud home, as Twilight also cast the cloud-walk spell upon them once they arrived.

In time, they all settled in, with food, drinks, and good company, plus the cushy furniture readily available in Rainbow's house.

"Rainbow," Rarity commented, "How do you get so many beautifully soft cushions in your home?"

"Hey, I need a good place to crash after a long day of practicing! I've fallen asleep on just about every piece of furniture in here once or twice."

"I bet, these are super comfy!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, reclining on a couch, herself slightly sweaty from the long day she spent working at Sugarcube Corner.

"Well then, I think we've whet our whistle and gotten comfy enough," Applejack chimed in, "what's this big secret of yours, Twilight?"

All eyes turned to her, and Twilight sat down on one of the chairs.

"Well, like I said, this is a big secret. Not because it's bad or anything, but because it involves other ponies who don't want this to get out," she explained, "I know I can trust you guys, though."

The four other mares smiled as Rainbow stood, taking a sip of her drink by the kitchen.

"I'm getting married," Twilight said, after a pause, "To Princess Celestia."

Pinkie, as per usual, leapt up from her seat in excitement.

"Twilight! Congratulations! I haven't done a wedding party in ages, and for Princess Celestia? Wow, that's incredible! I should-"

Twilight cut her off with a hug.

"No Pinkie, we're keeping this really low-key, remember? Nobody's supposed to know that we're getting married," she explained, "Celestia trusted me to keep this from getting out, and I trust all of you guys to do the same," she said as she and Pinkie's hug released.

"I had no idea you were even dating," Fluttershy piped up, "I mean, I'm happy for you, Twilight, but this all seems so sudden."

"You have to understand," Twilight explained, "Celestia values the privacy of her personal life, and so she asked to keep this secret. It's... hard to explain."

"We've got time, dear," Rarity said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Plenty of it, too," Applejack said, "We're not mad, we just wanna know how you and Celestia decided to tie the knot after all this time!"

"Well, you see, alicorns are naturally drawn to each other. Remember that time I had trouble sleeping and you all tried your special methods to help me sleep? The more time I spent around Celestia, the better I felt. And I guess things just, went from there."

"Wait, that tea I gave you didn't work?" Rarity chimed in, in mock indignation, "Twilight, I'm offended it took you this long to tell me!"

A chuckle ensued as the three still-seated mares got up to give Twilight a hug and offer their congratulations.

"So when is the wedding, anyway?" Rarity asked, "You know I simply must make a dress for you, even if it is a private ceremony!"

"Yeah, I bet Luna and Cadance are invited, at least," Applejack said.

"Ah, about that," Twilight chimed in, blushing brightly, "Um, gosh, how do I say this?" she asked, looking to Rainbow.

"You told me, Twilight, just tell them straight-up!" Rainbow said.

"Fine, fine, well, I'm marrying them, too. At the same time."

"Wait, is that even allowed?" Applejack wondered, "never heard of a four-way marriage before."

"Yes it's quite unusual," Rarity said, "and they're all ok with this?"

"It's called 'polyamory,'" Twilight explained, "it's where more than two ponies love each other equally in a relationship. What I told you about how I needed to be closer to Celestia to feel better? I feel the same way about Cadance and Luna. All alicorns are just naturally drawn to each other, and now that I'm an alicorn, I'm a part of, I guess you could call it a 'convergence of love.'"

"I guess that makes sense," Applejack said, "but I guess I just need to wrap my head around it. Not used to a whole... lovin' relationship involvin' more 'n two ponies."

"It is rare, and harder than a relationship with two ponies, but it can be done," Twilight said, "I don't expect all of you to really understand it fully right away, but this means a lot to me, and I don't want to just keep it to myself. And after everything we've been through as friends, I really think that you all deserve to know. I was going to tell you all individually, but honestly I think that telling you all like this was the best way forward."

"I think it saved you a lot of time, and a lot of hurt feelings for whoever you decided to tell last," Rainbow quipped.

"I was just worried all of you might think less of me for doing something so, different from what's normally done."

"Not at all, Twilight," Fluttershy said, "you're getting married to three mares you really love, and that's really what's important to us."

"Indeed, Twilight," said Rarity, "we all are happy that you're happy. And I trust that we all can keep this secret for the friend that brought us all together, right, girls?"

All five friends nodded as Twilight smiled in appreciation.

"Thanks so much, girls, it means a lot to me. If this wasn't such a high-stakes thing I wouldn't be so secretive about it, I honestly want to shout it from the rooftops, but I know that some things are more important; I don't want to hinder their ability to run Equestria, or make anything difficult for the rest of you. I can only imagine ponies coming up and asking you all about what you think about me getting married to all three princesses," she chuckled, "but, thanks so much. I love you guys, and appreciate everything you've done for me, and everything you've been for not only me, but us, for our friendship."

A group hug ensued, as the six mares hugged each other tightly for a spell. The rest of the night, the six spent cuddled together in each others' warm embrace as they watched a romantic movie, even as Rainbow protested, she acknowledged that it was appropriate given the situation, if nothing else.