"Let me get this straight…" Twilight said to the tiny Breezie who was in her birdhouse as the alicorn addressed her alone in the room. "You want me to bring Shining Armor here so he can see you again?"
"That's right." Cadence nodded.
"But I thought you didn't want him to see you like this?"
"Not like this, but once the moon on the lake transforms me…"
"But you're still not going to tell him about your curse?"
"Right, and neither can you or the others."
"Okay… but I really think you should tell him…"
"Twilight, you know him as well as I do. He'll just think that he could more to break the curse when you're already doing all you can with that."
"Is it because of that or are you still worried that he won't love you the way you are now?"
"Both…" she confessed.
"You don't have anything to worry about… but I will agree with you about him trying too hard to break the curse… Alright. Today, I'll send him a letter requesting his services. While the message gets sent, I'll tell everyone else the plan and make sure that the curse isn't brought up around Shining."
"Thank you… this means so much to me… and Shiny…" she smiled brightly.
Twilight grinned in return, "You're welcome. Now get some rest and leave everything to me." She left as Cadence started to fall asleep.
"You mean…? Cadence and Shining were…?" Flash slapped his face.
Twilight shook her head as she took his hoof, "Yeah… Another reason I didn't say anything about Shining Armor, because I Pinkie Promised Cadence I wouldn't say anything about their relationship."
"And you can't ever break a Pinkie Promise!" Pinkie pointed.
"So you told me…" Flash said.
"I do feel bad, though… What happened between us could have been easily avoided had you known about Shining Armor's feelings for Cadence…"
"It's okay… I was acting out of hoof, and you did make a promise that could not be broken at any cost…" They ended up giving each other loving glances.
Rainbow Dash had to fake cough to bring them back and asked, "So… how exactly are we going to get them together?"
"Oh… I have a few ideas…" She showed them her long list.
Shining Armor was patrolling when a guard ran up to him, "A message from Princess Twilight Sparkle from the Everfree Kingdom!" He saluted, "Said it was urgent, Sir!"
Shining immediately opened the letter and read out loud, "'Shining Armor, we need your help. Lately, the Timberwolves of the Everfree Forest have been nearing the edge of the castle's borders, and we could use your protection spell to keep them out. Come at sunset and you'll see what we mean… Signed, Twilight'."
Sunset? He wondered. If it was so urgent, why did he have to come at sunset? He decided not to think too much of it as he got ready to catch the next train out.
Celestia was lowering the sun as Twilight waited by the castle entrance. Shining Armor then came into her view as he neared the rope bridge. She waved him over.
He said as they met up, "I came as you asked. So where do the Timberwolves go near the castle?"
"This way…" she led him to the back of the castle. The others were hiding in bushes or behind trees, anxiously waiting how Shining would react to their surprise.
"There, by the lake." she pointed out.
Shining nodded and went forward as she gave a smirk and winked to those she saw in their hiding place. They winked in return.
Shining looked around the gardens, but was cautious in Discord's outlandish parts. The moon began to rise and he thought, At this rate, I won't be able to see anything… Suddenly, there was a strange glow at the lake and he turned to see… No… It's not… it can't be… He was breathing heavily.
She smiled up at him and said in a voice he heard so long ago, "Hello… Shining…"
His jaw dropped as he began rushing to her and she held her arms out as he lifted her up and twirled her around in joy. When he stopped, he looked deep into her violet eyes.
"I just… I can't believe…"
She shushed him, "I know… it's been so long…" They touched horns.
Back on the shore, tears were shed at the happy reunion.
They came into the gardens as Shining said, "But how is this possible…?"
"Let us not think about that and focus only that we're together again."
He looked at the onlookers, "How long did you know?"
Twilight answered for them, "Only for a little while… Cadence just showed up all of a sudden, surprising us all…" she told the truth.
"In the meantime," Cadence took Shining's hoof, "tell me everything that's been happening with you…"
"Uh, alright…" they started going around the lake as he told her.
The family quickly went to work setting up a romantic setting. Discord grew a table from a tiny mushroom into a giant one. Twilight had candles floating around and on the table. Fluttershy and Applejack set up the food full of creations with nuts and berries inside, and Pinkie and Rarity, with their husbands, set up decorations of a nature theme. Spike set up a record player while Flash found the right music to play, which was soft and beautiful. Rainbow and Soarin' made sure the skies stayed clear for a starry night.
Shining and Cadence came back and were surprised by the setting. He gestured for her to take a seat. She did a curtsy and did so. He sat down, but both Pinkie and Cheese went up to them, causing them to scoot closer together and the two party ponies backed off. Once the others went to leave the two alone, the couple got lost into each other's eyes and after they ate, he sat up and gestured for her to dance. She accepted and they danced close to the lake.
This lasted throughout most of the night. Then when they stopped, they sat by the lake's shore, seeing the moon's reflection gleaming in the water. In that special beautiful moment, Cadence had forgotten her troubles of being cursed and thought only of her brave and handsome Shining Armor.
"This has to be a dream…" he said.
She giggled, "A dream that's come true…"
He smiled, but then frowned, "But I still don't understand something… If you weren't away training to be a princess, then… where were you?"
She bit her lip. She had hoped that by distracting him, he wouldn't ask that question. He can't know… He just can't…
"Cadence… please…" he said as if he read her mind, "I thought you were safe before, but when I found out that you had gone missing all those years… it makes me think that something happened to you… What was it?"
You always were too smart for your own good… She sighed, "I want to tell you, but I know you'll overreact…"
"So I was right. What happened?" he questioned in concern.
"I'll tell you. Better yet, I'll show you, but you must Pinkie Promise me that you will not overstress the situation. Twilight and I are already trying to take care of it…"
"So… she knew… all this time…" he had a hint of sadness caught in his throat.
"No," she reassured him, "she told you the truth. Even I did not know that I would see her again… Fate brought us together… And so far, she has helped me greatly. All of my cousins have…"
"Then why? Why were you gone for so long?" his gorgeous blue eyes stared at her.
"I had no choice… Where I was, I could not leave…"
"You were a prisoner?!"
"No… It wasn't like that… It was actually a safe haven for my own protection."
"Protection?"
"It's like I said: you can't overstress this. What's done has been done. Twilight is already working hard as it is and I don't want you doing the same… I just want you there for support for me and for her… I love you…"
His eyes widened, whispering, "What…?"
She smiled, "You heard me, I love you… I have now for a long time…"
"Cadence, I-" but he was stopped by her hoof.
She smirked, "I know. I heard your whole confession on the balcony…"
He gaped, "What?! How could you have heard me?!"
"I was there…"
"What?!"
"On my mother's balcony, which was above yours."
"You… heard the… whole thing…?" he was still surprised.
"Uh-huh…" she nuzzled his chin, "and I was elated that you kept my ribbon this whole time…"
He blushed, "Well… it was the only thing I had of you…"
"That is so sweet…"
"But the question is: how? How did you overhear me without me being able to see you?"
"You'll find out once you make that Pinkie Promise…"
"I don't know if I can…"
"If you really want to know what happened to me, then you have to try…"
"But-"
"Please, Shiny, for me?" she pleaded and batted her eyes.
He groaned. He knew he couldn't resist that pouty face of hers. "How's this: I'll promise if you promise to let me help you when you feel you need me to?"
She gave a smile and said, "Fine." She did the promise gesture and then saw the moon lowering and quickly said, "Remember, no overstressing."
"Right." he mirrored the gesture she did.
Here goes nothing… I hope Twilight was right…
"So what-" but he stopped short when he saw Cadence transforming before his eyes.
She looked up at him with sad eyes and explained, "This is why I didn't tell you at first… Why I didn't reveal myself when I heard your confession…"
"But I don't understand… If you were like this when you heard me, how did I see you as your regular self?"
"This is what I mean by Twilight working hard already to lift the spell. She found a way to reverse it, even if it's for a short time."
He shook his head, "And to think she used to be a filly that had untapped talent. Now, she can do the impossible…"
"And also, the reason I didn't want you seeing me like this was that I didn't want to get your hopes up in case the curse couldn't be removed completely… because look at me. What kind of future could we possibly have?"
Shining didn't say anything.
"Exactly. It always works best if two ponies are about the same size…"
"The same size, huh?" he rubbed his chin in thought and then looked up at the castle, and then turned back to his beloved, "Listen, stay right here. I'll be back."
"Of course…? But what are you…?"
"Trust me, everything will be fine." He made a dash.
Shining met Twilight in the library, who screamed out, "YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?!"
"Change me to a Breezie…" Shining simply repeated.
"But-but-but… Are you sure?!"
"Twilight, I've never been more serious… I would think you of all ponies would understand what I am requesting…"
"I do… it's just… to make such a sacrifice for the one you love is so amazing…"
"Who says I'm making a sacrifice? The way I see it, if Cadence and I cannot be together as ponies, then we might as well be together as Breezies…"
Twilight touched her heart in awe, "That… is… so… beautiful!"
"All I need is Cadence. I don't need anything else… Because without her, my life… would remain empty…"
Twilight slowly nodded.
Cadence waited on a flower for Shining's return. Suddenly, she felt the other side of the flower shifting. She figured a ladybug must've landed next to her, but then she heard a voice and froze.
"Mind if I have a seat?"
She turned in shock to see Shining Armor as a Breezie like her!
"Shiny?! What? Why did you…?!"
He took her tiny hoof into his tiny hoof, "If you are doomed to be cursed forever, than so am I. I can't live without you, Cadence, and don't say otherwise, because you are worth it… I love you…"
Cadence was speechless, with tears were running down her eyes. He was willing to give up the life he knew before and all for her… Finally, she blurted out, "Oh, Shiny!" They moved in for a long, sweet hug.
Twilight and Flash watched the charming scene. He whispered in her ear, "For the record, I would have done the same…"
She just smiled and nuzzled under his chin. But their moment was short-lived when a blue blur tackled Twilight. She saw Rainbow giving her a look of panic, "Twilight, quick! Rarity is about to have her baby!"