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                     Eternally, Yours                      
                       -by SpyPony-                        
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                         Chapter 1                         
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Chapter 1
Celestia leaned out over the balcony, gazing over the vista from Canterlot Castle as she lowered the sun for the day. Her golden crown, necklace, and earrings glinted in its coral light as the bottom of the bright disc kissed the horizon. Her breezy, flowy, and thin white and gold dress billowed in the breeze from so high up as her milky white form bathed in the light, as her bare feet touched the perpetually cool alabaster tiles. Her horn shimmered as she heard bare footsteps softly approach from behind.
A set of dark blue hands joined the railing, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, the moon rose. Celestia turned to face the mare that joined her and gazed upon the always delightful sight of her sister’s almost completely nude form. Skinnier and shorter than Celestia, Luna still bore a figure that gained the envy of many a model. Her wings ruffled on her back as Celestia put a hand on her sister’s lower back, rubbing gently just above the base of her tail, making her younger sister grin and lean against her. Once the sun disappeared below the horizon completely and the moon rose to its full prominence, Celestia placed a kiss upon her sister’s cheek.
“Twilight hath taken quite well to her bonding,” Luna said, leaning in to kiss Celestia on the shoulder, “It is as if she became whole new mare.”
“Years of suppressing one’s desires can do that,” Celestia agreed, “and it has only been a couple of months.”
“She hath become nearly as insatiable as Cadance!”
“Hah, and developed about as many fetishes, too.”
“Mayhap we should take her to that private room in the cabin?”
“She has not shown much curiosity in it, but, perhaps. You know as well as I it is not for the unprepared.”
“She hath handled herself very well tonight, however.”
“You know more than anyone else that it’s much more than a few steps up from spanking,” she chuckled, “your hand is very different from the metal-studded paddle we’ve used on Cadance.”
“Thou speak the truth,” Luna chuckled, “perhaps we should arrange an introductory session with her?”
“We should, and I will send Cadance a letter tonight.”
A pause as the chuckling died down, and the two sisters stayed where they were, leaning over the stone railing with their skin touching. The silence of the night sounded soothing far above the ground, especially atop a mountain. The occasional rock cracking and tumbling down, a gust of wind, the distant sound of a pony walking on the stone road far beneath them, never thinking to look up.
“Sister,” Luna said, “I want to marry Twilight. It vexes me that she has not volunteered to do so, yet.”
“I gave her the invitation,” Celestia corrected, “she knows that the offer is always going to be open, and we shouldn’t force that upon her. The bond is there, Luna,” Celestia assured her once again, turning herself to the side to face her sister, and coaxing Luna to do the same, “if she does not want to marry us then that should be her decision. She does not need marriage to perpetuate her bond with us; Marrying you worked for you and I, and for Cadance. You asked me to marry you, and I said yes. Cadance asked to marry us instead of Shining Armor, and we both said yes. It meant a lot to all of us to be married. We should not assume that marrying us has the same draw to Twilight that it does to us.”
“But I feel so incomplete without it,” Luna pouted, as she leaned her head into her sister’s chest.
Celestia embraced her sister gently.
“We cannot force this upon her,” she cooed, hugging her sister tightly.
“It is only a ceremony,” Luna said, “It is not the same as the one her father and mother share; it will never be made public.”
“Then ask her, if you want it so badly. Tell her what the ceremony means to you!”
Luna smirked as she squeezed her sister tighter.
“I shall.”
Celestia reached down to grab Luna by her thighs, and hoisted her sister up. Luna responded quickly by wrapping her arms around the back of Celestia’s neck, and her legs around Celestia’s waist. They gazed face-to-face as Celestia walked her sister back inside, into Luna’s private bedroom, where Twilight lay fast asleep, naked on top of all the covers. An ice pack graced her plump, reddened rear, while the covers beneath seemed soaked in sweat and other fluids, as Twilight breathed lightly, her head turned to the side, with her arms tied at the wrists behind her back.
“Luna, cut those off,” Celestia gently scolded with a slight chuckle, as soon as she noticed the binds, “I know she asked you to tie them, but she’s going to panic if she wakes up like that.”
With a flick of Luna’s magic, the ropes untied themselves and fell to Twilight’s back, and her arms proceeded to slide off her back and onto the bed. It roused Twilight enough for her one visible eye to open, and look up at the two sisters holding each other in a way no other pair of sisters would dare.
“G’night, Mistress Luna,” she managed to say, before her eye closed again, making the pair of sisters chuckle.
“When did you ask her to call you ‘Mistress?’” Celestia wondered, as she proceeded to teleport the two into her own bedroom.
“Thou wert there the whole time,” Luna countered playfully, “never!”
“I suppose she does enjoy submitting to our authority, too,” she added, “I so rarely had to discipline her, so perhaps I ended up making her crave it?”
“She hath always been a fine student, sister. Thou taught her well, and she simply desires from you that which she hath always wondered about, yet never received. She knows now that it is play, and not true admonishment.”
Celestia set her nude sister down onto the bed, and Luna gently began disrobing what little clothes Celestia wore at this hour.
“I never thought of it that way,” she said as she and Luna tossed her clothes to the side haphazardly, Celestia’s growing member pressing up against Luna’s, “whoever knew being a good student might make someone develop a fetish for being a bad student?”
“A bad student with a sadistic teacher,” Luna corrected with a wink.
Celestia smirked as she took Luna’s legs into her hands and hoisted them both up and used them as leverage to flip her sister onto her belly, making Luna gasp. Celestia grabbed Luna’s tail, and cast a lubrication spell upon Luna’s rear, hoisting that tail directly up as she lined her shaft up to Luna’s rear entrance.
“It will be difficult for me to treat her that way; she has always been my sweet student. Perhaps you should be her disciplinarian?” she suggested, “have Cadance show her how that would work, while I can be gentle with her?”
“I still deign to be gentle with her, too,” Luna replied as she looked back to her sister, her wings ruffling on her back as she prepared herself, “but I shall respect your wishes, though I cannot promise she will not ask you for such treatment.”
“I will deal with it as it arrives,” Celestia assured her sister, gently shoving her shaft inside. Luna’s rear proved tight, yet well-trained from centuries of lovemaking.
“Nngh, oh sister I have missed this so,” she panted, as she sank herself deeper into the Princess of the Night.
“Mff, it was but a fortnight ago when thou had mine rear last!” Luna chortled.
Celestia countered with a firm spank to her sister’s plump rear, and watched as the moon on her right side jostled with the strike.
“Ahh!” Luna gasped, as simultaneously Celestia sank the full length of her shaft inside of her sister.
“When your body makes me feel this whole, every day without you near me feels like an eternity,” Celestia huffed as she pressed her crotch against Luna’s rear, smooshing those cheeks as she pulled back on Luna’s tail.
“Ngh, as doth yours,” Luna panted as Celestia felt her sister’s well-trained muscles inside of her massage her shaft in sync with her thrusting. Celestia thrust harder, faster, panting, and even drooling a little as she felt the intense flow of affection towards her sister, the affirmations of their feelings towards each other, and her own thoughts of the taboo of making love to her only blood relative, brought her so close to the edge.
She performed every trick she could think of to withhold her orgasm as long as possible; biting her lip, biting her tongue, thinking of Luna in a non-sexual manner, but Luna’s expert ministrations, so accustomed to pleasuring her sister like this, won out in the end. Celestia reached over and grabbed Luna’s mane and pulled back hard, making Luna gasp, as Celestia erupted her seed into her sister’s rear. She held herself fully hilted to Luna for a few moments, as her orgasm proceeded, to the sounds of both sisters panting, a light sheen of sweat gracing the two monarchs as the afterglow enveloped them.
Celestia caressed her sister’s rear, feeling its roundness, the tautness of her skin, before her eyes traced up Luna’s body, until they met Luna’s, looking back at her. She could not help but remember when they first made love all those centuries ago, how despite the improvements they made in their lovemaking, it still felt special. Even with the addition of Cadance, and now Twilight to the small circle of alicorns, much as Celestia loved them both dearly, the thousands of years spent with Luna assured her the most treasured place in Celestia’s heart.
After some time, Celestia finally withdrew from her sister, her shaft flopping from the entrance before its slow retreat back into her sheath. She sat down on the bed and helped her sister up with her, into the sheets, as they embraced in Celestia’s bed.
Remembering her promise to send Cadance a letter, Celestia used her magic to produce a pen and paper.
Dearest Princess Cadance,
It is a pleasure to write to you as always! I trust things go well in the Crystal Empire. Should you have the opportunity, Twilight has developed certain… interests, that I believe you are most capable of teaching to her.
Luna and I miss you greatly, and it will be wonderful to have the four of us together at once; alas such an opportunity is so rare to present itself nowadays. Luna and I will try to find a way to clear our schedules to have a get together at the Winter Palace, or perhaps the secret place, but it will take time. Do respond at your earliest convenience!
Ever yours,
Celestia
With a flick of magic, she sent the message off to Cadance, and lay her pen down. She placed her arms around Luna and fell deep into sleep.
. . .
The next morning, Celestia awoke to a familiar alarm. Her eyes opened and beheld Luna still curled up in her arms, and a smile graced her face. It felt so criminal to Celestia to leave such a tender embrace, but the sun must rise, and so rise from bed she must. She gently maneuvered herself from Luna’s form, gently letting Luna’s limbs down to the mattress as she stood up from the bed, and in her nude glory, sporting a semi-erection from sleeping, she approached the window. Her eyes closed and her magic surged through her body. She felt within her the sheer size and weight of the celestial body she moved, yet her magical strength lifted it, with no small effort, as light graced the window from her room, opposite the castle from Luna’s room. Her eyes opened, and she gazed upon the rising sun as it began its journey across the sky.
Behind her, she heard stirring. She turned around and saw Luna awake, and smiling. A smile graced Celestia’s face in return as she turned her whole body back around and walked towards the bed.
“Come on up, sister,” she encouraged, “best check if Twilight is all right.”
A quick flash of magic flashed as the two mares clothed themselves in basic robes. Luna rose from the bed and hopped up, clinging to her sister for a piggy-back ride, making Celestia chuckle as she held onto Luna’s legs.
“Mmm, all right,” Celestia chuckled as she briskly walked out of the room, careful to lower herself a bit so Luna would not hit her head on the doorway, before going across the hallway to Luna’s room, doing the same as the door opened for it. The sight of Twilight in the same position she assumed from the previous night concerned Celestia a little, but a quick check of her vitals through magic showed that Twilight simply remained in deep sleep.
“I’ll wake her,” Celestia said as Luna lowered herself onto the floor. Celestia crawled onto the bed while her sister wrote down a breakfast-in-bed order for the cooking staff. Celestia caressed Twilight’s head, cupping her cheek a little and smiling a little. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” she cooed in a motherly tone, “the sun’s out!”
“Nngh, five more minutes,” Twilight groaned as she opened one eye to look directly up at Celestia. She smiled and pet Twilight’s cheek again and flipped Twilight over onto her back, reaching over to gently tickle Twilight’s belly, grinning and laughing a little. “Hey, stoppp!” Twilight protested playfully as her body reacted, trying to roll away, and eventually rolling herself out of bed to stop the tickle assault. Celestia chuckled as she watched it all happen, Twilight’s nude body standing bolt upright, but smirking as she re-composed herself.
“Fine, you win,” Twilight said as she walked around the bed and hugged Celestia, who returned the gesture. A flash of Luna’s magic teleported the breakfast order to the kitchen, while Celestia prepared a table for the three of them.
The meal appeared via teleportation magic, a sign of the strong magic embedded into the very walls for the centuries that it stood. Decorations of the night sky surrounded them, along with portraits of the two sisters together, never alone, as the three present alicorns ate their meal.
“Art thou feeling better tonight?” Luna asked.
“I am, thanks,” Twilight said with a gentle smile, looking across the table as she took a sip of her morning orange juice, “the ice pack really helped. It’s still a little sore, but I think I’ll be ok.”
“I am glad to hear it,” Luna agreed, as she looked across to Celestia, who winked in response, in the one eye not facing Twilight. “When we finish, dear Twilight, may we talk privately?”
“Oh, of course,” Twilight said, her face slowly falling to a look of concern, “Is everything all right?”
“It is,” Luna assured, “My sister knows what vexes me, but I simply wish to speak to you alone.”
“Luna, I think whatever you can say to me, you can say to Celestia,” Twilight said, reaching over and squeezing her hand, “I doubt she’ll find anything you say upsetting.”
“It’s all right, Twilight,” Celestia chimed in, “I know what Luna wants to ask you; she spoke to me about it after you passed out last night. I promise, she just wants to feel more comfortable speaking in private.”
Hesitantly, Twilight nodded as she finished her meal, still squeezing Luna’s hand.
“Well, all right, Luna,” Twilight said with a gentle smile, “Just promise me that we’ll tell Celestia after we finish talking?”
“Indeed.”
. . .
Breakfast finished soon after, and Celestia took her leave, beginning her duties for the court by teleporting out of Luna’s room, leaving her and Twilight alone.
“Twilight,” she said as she stood up, and coaxed her lover to her feet, “You are one whom I cherish dearly. Ever since you bonded with my sister, I felt the bond with you just as strong as the bond I feel with Cadance.”
Twilight smiled, and as she stood up, she reached a hand over to Luna’s shoulder, gripping it gently, affectionately.
“I know it is much to ask this of you, but, it means so much to me,” she confessed, “I wish, to be married to you, Twilight. It feels so incomplete without it,” she explained, as Twilight’s ears fell back, and her face flushed red. She looked down and away from Luna’s gaze for a bit, before returning her gaze back to Luna’s.
“Luna, you mean so much to me, too,” she agreed, “And I love the idea of marrying you, Celestia, and Cadance!”
Luna nodded, but her eyes fell at the end of Twilight’s sentence.
“…However…?”
“I can’t keep something like that a secret from my friends; from my family!”
“’Tis but a ceremony, Twilight,” Luna tried to explain, “It hath no legal meaning.”
“But,” Twilight said, biting her lips, “I want it to mean something to the world. I want everyone to know that I’m a wife. I can’t keep secrets like that, even if it is just a ceremony we do in secret.”
Luna’s face descended into one of dismay.
“I understand it is much to ask, Twilight. I simply feel as if, there is one last step to take with thee, and it will eat away at me for every moment it hath not been taken.”
Twilight looked up at Luna, a tear in her eye, but leaned in and hugged her tightly.
Luna hugged her back, gently patting her shoulder.
“Mayhap, mayhap we can come to an agreement? Tell only those closest to you, those you can trust to not take unkindly to our arrangement, those of whom can keep the secret from the wider public?”
Twilight sniffled a little bit, but patted Luna’s shoulder, and leaned back, facing Luna once more. She nodded in response.
“I can do that,” she said, “I think the only problem will be my parents, and the fact that you’re married to your sister. I doubt many ponies will understand that.”
Luna nodded and kissed Twilight’s forehead, just to the left of her horn.
“It shall be Celestia’s and my secret to keep,” she agreed.

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                         Chapter 2                         
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Chapter 2
"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.