Jump to content

Correspondence


Dio

Recommended Posts

The night rolled in calm, softening the jagged edges of the mountains separating the Badlands from Greater Equestria, sweeping swiftly across the rolling fields of the Saddleveil Plains, draping its velvety blackness across the mountains of Roughrider Ridge, chilling the rocky expanse of the Painted Pinto Desert, and finally finishing its arc far across the sea somewhere west of Aquellia. Pallid phosphorescence from a million twinkling points of light bathed the Foothills in unearthly luminescence, from the cozy cottages of Solstice Heights up mountain roads and winding thoroughfares to the magnificent alabaster spires of the Equestrian capital. Atop a single gold-trimmed tower, guarded by concentric walls topped by steely-eyed sentries, something stirred.

A lone equine stood at the apex deck of the tower, her mane flowing with otherworldly grace, wings folded neatly at her sides, and eyes fixed upon the glittering firmament above. The alicorn nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgement, smiling broadly as the stars danced above her.

“You have done well, sister.” Celestia spoke softly, more for herself than anypony else. Surely Luna was out frolicking in the night by now, far out of earshot.

Gently stepping down the stairs back to her private chambers, Princess Celestia stifled a yawn. It had been a trying day, filled with meetings, public appearances, and the busy trappings of royal life. As she entered, her horn glowed soft lavender, gently shutting her chamber doors behind her with flowing tendrils of aether. Faintly glowing wisps of lavender continued to float around her, weaving in and out of her mane, gently brushing her coat, and finally lifting her crown and mantle away, setting them upon the chamber’s dresser.

Another flick of her horn and twist of the aether and the fireplace on the far wall burst to life, providing both dim illumination and subtly warming the cushion lying before it. Celestia stretched her great wings, moving them to their full extension before folding them back to her sides and gingerly laying down upon the cushion. As the fire warmed her flanks, the Sun Princess went about her familiar routine, brushing her mane and tail, preening her feathers, and finally floating over a bottle of her own private stock of Solstice Winery dandelion wine.

Celestia hummed softly to herself as she uncorked the bottle and gently poured out a glass, careful not to spill it. Her evening routine complete, Celestia raised the glass to her lips and gingerly sipped, allowing the edgy, mildly bitter taste to roll over her tongue before swallowing. “Slightly sharper than before and the pollen is definitely there, but as always an excellent finish...”

Celestia closed her eyes for a moment, reviewing the day’s events, but quickly decided them not worth dwelling upon. The alicorn tapped a hoof on her chin. A tiny thought at the edge of memory continued to nag at her. Whatever could it be?

A smile crossed her face as she recalled exactly what she had been meaning to do all day. The aether tendrils reached out again, this time bringing back to Celestia a quill, ink, and stationery. Delicately lifting the quill on wisps of aether, the Sun Princess began to write.

My faithful student Twilight Sparkle,

I must say that I am very pleased with your reports on your studies in Ponyville. Your learning progress is excellent and I am glad to see that you have made many friends along the way!

This is specifically why I am writing you today. Though your reports are well-written and very professional, I see very little of my favorite student from day to day. It would please me greatly to hear what you think and feel personally, from a non-academic standpoint. I would love to hear all about life in Ponyville; Equestria unscripted as it were! Your friends are also welcome to write to me. I am very interested in hearing what they have to say about their daily lives.

It is a welcome change of pace for me to read and answer these letters and I am sure that it would bring great joy to their hearts to know that their voices will be heard. I look forward to hearing from you and your friends!

Your mentor and friend,

Princess Celestia

--------------------------------------

OOC: this thread is open to all players of the “Mane 6,” though I may occasionally pull in other characters to shake things up.

The post format is as follows: a short exposition or anecdote from your character describing their day or their general mood as they write the letter followed by the letter itself. As this thread is freeform, you can be as meta as you want (even pony-fying events from your life to use) so long as the post itself is in character. That said, this is not an “ask Princess Celestia” tumblr. It’s more of a “dear Princess Celestia, my day went…” thread. Try to remember to be candid! It’s a letter, not homework!

I will respond as I see fit and will occasionally introduce additional prompts to continue the thread. Ready? Set… WRITE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Oh this was exciting, but nerve wracking as well. Princess Celestia wanted to hear from each of Twilight's friends, and Fluttershy was one of them. She wanted to make sure the letter was interesting so as not to make a bad impression and have it reflect on her friend.

"Oh dear... what do I write?" She glanced to Angel who was kicking something around. "Angel... what have you got?" Trotting over she blinked and saw it was a lemon. "Oh! That's it! I know just what to write."

And with that in mind she sat down to start her letter.

'Dear Princess Celestia,

I have a story to tell you, I hope it's not boring... I wouldn't want to waste your time with this letter. The other day I met somepony I was afraid of and found out she wasn't as scary as I thought.

Did you know we have a Haunted House here in Ponyville? Or at least that's what they say. And a little while ago a Unicorn moved in there. She even has a ghost as a Cutie Mark. Her name is Willow Wisp I didn't really see her much, except at night. She likes to go out into the woods when it is dark, and she glows. It was very spooky.

I usually avoided this one path going into town from my cottage because it passed her house. But yesterday the path I took instead was unusable. Somepony's cart had gotten stuck and it was so crowded as they tried to get it moving again. So I had to go the other way; I was so nervous. I was going to run right by but as I got close I saw her outside. And I'd never seen her out in the daytime.

I still was going to sneak by but she saw me and came my way. At least she wasn't glowing then. She told me later that only happens at night. But she asked if I was Fluttershy. And of course I said yes, because even if I was scared I couldn't lie. That just wouldn't be right. She had heard I was going with animals and her pet wasn't feeling well.

I was so scared to go into the house, but I couldn't let a poor animal just be sick. It was creepy in there, lost of old looking furniture, strange pictures on the walls, and there was just this spooky feeling. I had to try really hard to not panic.

Turns out she has a Fruit Bat, named Morty, as a pet. Morty likes lemons and it ended up he wasn't sick, but just had a stomach ache. He had gotten into the lemons she had for him and ate a bunch the night before. He is bigger than the little bats I'm use to seeing, but he is very cute. And I was able to help by teaching Willow Wisp how to make something to help settle his tummy.

We ended up talking a bit as well. She may have seemed really scary, just like her home but she's actually a very nice pony. She's been on so many adventures too. She was telling me about some strange creatures she's found, and I was very interested. I love animals, and learning about some creatures I'd never heard of before was great.

I guess I learned that just because something seems scary, it may not be. I was letting my fear get the best of me and because of it, I was avoiding somepony that ended up being really nice. Sometimes facing your fears, even if you didn't really want to, can lead to making new friends.

Your Faithful Subject

Fluttershy'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spike

Spike yawned, dragging his blanket down the stairs tiredly behind him as he walked to the main floor. He remembered just before he fell asleep - he needed to at least write something out for the Princess before the day was up, or he'd forget what he wanted to tell her. He'd send it out in the morning after he woke up.

He plodded over to the drawer with all the quills, parchment and ink in it, pulling out one of each and simply sitting on the floor in front of it, too tired to take it over to the table.

Dear Princess Celestia.

Before I forget, I want to thank you for coming all the way to Ponyville to help out with Twilight's fiasco today. She really did lose it, didn't she?

She tends to do that a lot - worry about the small stuff and forget what's really important.

Despite all her organization and smarts, she can't see what's right in front of her half the time! I guess that makes Twilight, Twilight though.

I really tried to talk her down today, but MAN she was worked up! I've never seen her so whacked out! Normally I can calm her down but she just wouldn't listen to me! I figured nopony else but you would be able to get through to her in the end.

Oh, also thank you for not banishing Twilight to Magic Kindergarten. I didn't really believe you would.... really. BUT just in case the thought went through your head, thank you for not doing it! It would really suck having to stay here all alone in Ponyville without her - or would you have sent me off to magic kindergarten with her?

Anyways, Thanks again. I really owe you one!

-Spike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Royal Gardens played host to flora and fauna from across the land ranging from the exotic to the mundane. Endless swaths of greenery sprawled across the contoured courtyards, punctuated by alabaster obelisks and shielded by walls of ancient stone. Birdsong wafted through the air, perfumed by the sweet scent of lavender and buoyed by the throaty drone of the rapids and waterfalls that fed the garden’s spectacular collection of flora.

“Good morning to you, as well!” Celestia chirped.

The buzzard perched on a nearby branch squawked acknowledgement before resuming its buzzing. Celestia slowly worked her way through the garden, pausing here and there to softly hum along with the birds or smile contentedly as they twittered and chirped, flitting around her in a merry dance of feathers and song. The Sun Princess closed her eyes and smiled contentedly as a brightly colored finch alighted in her mane, tucking a single orchid flower behind her ear.

Suddenly, the tranquil surround of the garden was broken by the fluttering of large wings. The finch let out a surprised squawk before beating a hasty retreat to the safety of a nearby tree. Celestia winced at the sudden change in volume, but quickly realized what had happened, tempering her surprise with a light chuckle and a shake of her head.

“Oh Philomena, you really must stop terrorizing the gardens!” She said, extending her gilded hoof as a perch.

A shimmering banner of blazing crimson and glittering aurum fluttered across Celestia’s vision before rapidly circling around and alighting upon her outstretched hoof. Philomena, now replete with regenerated plumage crowed in delight. If a creature with a beak could smile, she would most certainly have been doing so. As she did, the small satchel that she had been carrying dropped into the grass with a dull thud.

Celestia gently nuzzled her companion. “I really was about to return to my chambers to fetch it for myself. But since the weather crews haven’t scheduled rain until tomorrow, I suppose it’s just as well. I could always use more time outside!”

The phoenix crowed again, fluttering to perch on Celestia’s back as the princess moved. Celestia levitated the satchel beside her, trotting to a secluded spot on the terrace where she could write in peace. Humming softly to herself and her companion, she unsnapped the buckle, removed her quill and stationery, and began to write.

My dearest Fluttershy,

That sounds like quite the story! I realize that everypony has their own vices and virtues, fortes and fears. It warms my heart to learn that you not only faced your fears, but made a new friend as well. I’m glad that you’ve taken this opportunity to learn both about new animals but also new ponies.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

PS: Philomena sends her regards!

My faithful servant Spike,

I must thank you for informing me of Twilight’s predicament. I appreciate your being concerned enough to call for help when Twilight clearly didn’t know to do so. Your dedication shows that you are a good friend and I am confident in my decision to place you as her attendant.

Twilight does tend to blow things out of proportion, especially when her detail-oriented mindset gets the better of her. Her attention to detail is what makes her one of the best and brightest students at the university and also my star pupil. Still, the idea of being sent back to magic kindergarten is patently absurd; it even makes me giggle just thinking about it! Please reassure her that I have no plans to demote her, but also remind her that she must be careful in her use of spellcraft.

You have done well, Spike, and I expect nothing less of you in the future.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pinkie Pie happily sat down after a long, busy day. She'd sent off a lot of party invitations, but since she'd gotten Princess Celestia's letter, she wanted to write something to go along with that one. She grabbed a pen and started to scrawl out a letter, writing in a messy, undisciplined script.

Hey there Princess Celestia, this is Pinkie Pie. So anyway, earlier today, I was totally messing around with new recipes for stuff, and some colt tried to sneak in and tried to pull a prank on me. I'm not really sure what the prank was gonna be, but I caught him first, and he turned out to be a pretty ok kinda guy, he even helped me hide the evidence when one of my recipes wait nevermind that.

So while I was doing that, I came up with a really cool recipe for cookies. You've gotta try them, it's like chewing on little round lightning bolts, but they're crisp and sweet and super delicious, I'm sure everypony is gonna love them at the party tomorrow. I also came up with some recipes for really nasty stuff, like those really horrible cupcakes, and something that I think might have been alive, but it got away, so I'm not really sure what was up with that.

Anyway, I managed to not get in trouble for the smoke, so when I went out into the forest, I thought hey, that zany zebra Zecora, you remember her right, I'm sure Twilight's written about her. Anyway, I thought she still doesn't come around town all that often, and even though nopony hides from her all the time, there's still a lot of ponies who are nervous around her, so I thought what better way to help her make more friends in town than to throw a party! I'm inviting everypony in Ponyville, but I thought maybe you might like to come, if you're not too busy. Oh, and Luna too. And Pony Joe, too, he makes great doughnuts. Not that Blueblood guy, though, I think Rarity might get upset if I invite him. I hope he isn't too upset.

Um, so I'm not sure if the invitations will get all the way to Canterlot in time if I sent them now, since the mail already got picked up today, so I'm just gonna set Spike to send them to you. I hope that's ok.

Love, Pinkie Pie

PS, I know Discord was bad and all, but that chocolate milk rain was good, I don't suppose you'd be willing to maybe bring that back? I mean, just for special occasions maybe?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Rainbow Dash groaned as she stared at the empty scroll in front of her. She was supposed to be flying not here doing homework! She rolled around on the cloud she was currently resting on, floating along with the breeze. Suddenly she stopped rolling, the note wouldn't write itself so she might as well bite the bit and get this thing over and done with!

Now how did Twilight write her letters....

Yo Princess! Hows it going? Everything is pretty normal over here. Oh this is Rainbow Dash by the way. Yeah. I ran into a few trouble makers here and there but I got them sorted out pretty quick. Just another good deed done by the dash master!

Hmmm...OH! Some crazy weather pony got herself zapped by lightning. Jeez...these ponies need to learn that they can't be as awesome as I am. She's fine though, apparently she lives for those kinds of thrills....I might challenge her to a race one of these days. A pony that dodges lightning has GOT to be fast on the wing right?

I've got a few new tricks in the making...you know...if ya ever stop by Ponyville maybe we can hang out or something. I've always kinda wondered how fast you are princess... Anyway! That's it for now. You stay awesome over there and I'll stay awesome over here!

Fastest Flier!

Rainbow Dash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ajbanner.png

Applejack was so relieved. She had just made herself out of the Everfree forest looking for Apple Bloom when she came back to the farm to find her little sister playing with the pigs. Applejack had gotten so worked up about the safety of her kin that she began hastily making her way into her own dangers. Applejack thought that her day's story was so compelling that she couldn't just keep it to herself. Applejack spoke to herself. "I got an idea! I'll write a letter to the Princess!" She made her way into the carrot cottage. Within about three minutes easy, she prepared in the kitchen an apple pie to be baked and placed it into the preheated oven. After setting a baking timer, she sat onto a nearby apple-shaped pillow and pulled out some fresh parchment and a rarely used rooster quill. Without magic or Spike, it would prove difficult to write a letter using her own penmareship, but she was willing to give it a try.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It's amazing what kind of emotions can run through a pony's mind when you sense danger. Especially if it's danger to a little sister. And while these reactions are sometimes useful, they can sometimes blind a pony from seeing the truth of the situation.

See, I had ventured into the Everfree forest in search for Apple Bloom. I was so worried that she'd run away because we had a sisterly argument on the farm. So, I expected her to run into the Everfree forest because she had gone there so many times before to see Zecora. I'll be honest with you Princess, I was scared out of my little horseshoes of that place. The Everfree forest just ain't natural with the way it takes care of itself. Which by the way, is there any way you think you could decree that forest to be destroyed? I don't think too many ponies here in Ponyville would miss it.

Anyway, I finally ran into Zecora and Pinkie Pie and a new pony I had just met named Misty. And I began making a huge mistake. I kept thinking bad things about Zecora, again. I let my fear distract me from who she is. Even though I had learned my lesson a while back about not judging a pony by her cover, I still couldn't get over the fact that I was afraid of her. I did, however, feel relieved when Pinkie Pie seemed to know the whereabouts of Apple Bloom and it was then that I realized I had re-closed the door on me getting to know Zecora better. But in the end, I was able to share a few laughs with Zecora before we headed out of that creepy forest and I gained her as a friend again.

I've learned that in order to trust a pony, or zebra, you've gotta spend more time with them to get to know them and feel more comfortable with who they are. And even if you think you know somepony pretty good, you still need to spend time with them to maintain a solid friendship. The apple trees on our farm yield some of the freshest fruit in all of Equestria. But it only happens because we work hard to keep the trees healthy every season. And just like apple trees, I need to keep in touch with my friends in order to maintain those wonderful relationships.

Loyalest of Friends,

Applejack

P. S. - Please enjoy this apple pie and a crate of our freshest apples as a gift from Ponyville's own Sweet Apple Acres! I sent them through the First Class Pegasi Parcel Service in order to maintain the maximum freshness. You may visit the farm anytime.

*DING*

Applejack rose excitedly and pulled out the freshly baked apple pie from the oven. She placed the pie in a small cardboard box good for delivering pastries and placed the box in a crate full of red delicious apples. Before closing the crate, she placed her letter on top so that it would be the first thing seen. She would then have the parcel service pick-up the crate for delivery when they made their daily stop at the farm. The crate was nailed shut with delivering orders to Princess Celestia at the Canterlot Royal Palace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Spike

Checking over his shoulders, Spike settled down on the soft grass on a hill overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. It had been a few hours since the Sisterhood Social, and the Apple family and a bunch of volunteers were cleaning up the aftermath of the events.

He pulled a quill and sheet of parchment from his bag.... and a big red juicy apple to munch on while he wrote. Licking the end of the quill, he put pen-tip to paper and started to write his letter.

Dear Princess Celestia.

Today was quite the interesting day! Every year in Ponyville they hold what's called the Sisterhood Social - a festival at Sweet Apple Acres where sisters from all over Ponyville compete together to see who's the best!

Things went well for the most part - ponies had fun stuffing themselves with pie, egg racing, and other events. The biggest event by far was the obstical race. Sisters had to work together as a team to get through the whole thing. What really surprised me was that Rarity and her little sister, Sweetie Belle, participated. Now, I've told you of Rarity - as wonderful, gorgeous, and beautiful as she is.... she hates to get dirty or do physical work.

So, Applejack and Applebloom agreed that Sweetie could be Aj's 'sister for a day' so that she cloud participate in the event. Imagine my surprise at the end when the one who turned out to be running the race with Sweetie wasn't AJ... but Rarity! Right at the beginning of the race she and Applejack switched places so Rarity was the one with her sister all along.

At the end of the day after the race, Rarity and Sweetie called me over to the Boutique so I could write their letter to you - as you know.

It's nice to see siblings getting along in the end, no matter how opposite they are. Sure would be nice if I could have a younger sibling... Oh well. I'm with Twilight, and I'm happy with that for now!

Sincerely, your faithful student's faithful assistant,

Spike

P.S: Next year you and your sister should totally come down and participate in the Sisterhood Social yourselves! I know you'll both have a blast!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“… and that is my proposal for the renovation of the Violet Square public library.”

Celestia did her best to suppress a yawn, which succeeded only in producing a face unbecoming of a princess. Thankfully, a rather large blueprint page floated in front of her face, obscuring her otherwise egregious breach of etiquette. The sun princess cocked her head behind the schematics, frowning as she evaluated the stallion’s proposal. When she had agreed to this meeting, she did not anticipate the content to be so… inconsequential.

Celestia lowered the schematics slowly, revealing the eager, smiling, face of a lightly bearded aristocrat with suitably ostentatious garb. Really, business casual would have sufficed given the nature of his requests, Celestia thought. Did this really warrant the attention of the Princess?

Taking a sip of her tea, Celestia finally put down the schematics and addressed the stallion directly. “So Mister…”

She could barely remember his name, which was about as forgettable as his very reason for meeting with her in the first place. “… Bookend, your proposal to renovate the public library at Violet Square consists of changing the color of the signage lettering from violet… to plum.”

“Yes, your majesty! That is precisely it!”

Though she mentally facehoofed, Celestia maintained a straight face. “And there are no further modifications to the signage?”

“No, your majesty. These changes are entirely my own!”

“Mister Bookend,” Celestia carefully considered her words in an effort to keep from sounding too disparaging. “Would it not make sense for the Violet Square library to have violet signage?”

“…”

The Sun Princess paused for a moment to let it sink in, doing her best not to let a mischievous smile crack her face. “In all seriousness, I believe this is a matter more appropriate for the public works department in your district. The regents there are perfectly capable of handling such administrative tasks as this. I specifically delegated responsibility for maintenance and upgrades of facilities to them and I trust the ponies there to do their jobs.”

Bookend looked down dejectedly. “I… I’m sorry your majesty. I merely thought that if I received an audience with you that perhaps I could…”

“Fast-track your project?” Celestia said, perhaps a bit more harshly than intended. The princess cleared her throat before continuing. “Everypony is given equal opportunity to present their case before the regents. It wouldn’t be fair for me to make an exception just for you.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Talk to the staffer at the reception desk and they will be able to set you up with an appointment with the regents. Are there any further questions?”

“No, your majesty.”

“You are dismissed.”

As the aristocrat padded away, his head hanging from his shoulders, Celestia sighed. The regents would reject his proposal as trivial, if she’d chosen her administrators correctly. Given her years of experience, Celestia hoped that she’d grown to be a better judge of character with the passage of time.

That was her last meeting for the morning and she was in dire need of a break. She stepped out of the boardroom and immediately stepped out onto one of the castle’s many balconies. Spreading her great wings, she took flight, gracefully floating up the side of the spire until she reached the observation deck atop the alabaster tower.

Celestia alighted gently upon the observation deck, basking in the sunlight for a moment, closing her eyes and allowing the light and warmth to cloak her body. She chuckled to herself, reaching out with tendrils of aether and acquiring several things from her private chambers. The sun princess attended to herself, straightening her mantle and momentarily doing away with her tiara for comfort.

From within the room floated a couch and small coffee table. The couch settled in a warm sunny spot with pillows fluffing themselves and settling in tidy bunches at each end. A coffee table quickly followed, setting itself with a plate, tea set, and finally a familiar apple pie. Celestia hummed to herself as she settled onto the couch, finally taking a load off her hooves.

Floating a quill and parchment to her cozy retreat, Celestia cut herself a slice of apple pie and began to write. There were quite a few letters to reply to, after all!

My dearest Rainbow Dash,

Speed isn’t the only thing behind the Equestrian weather teams. Remember that those with skill and the heart to use it also have their place. Everypony has his or her own way of making the weather work. I’m glad that you and your friend have bonded over your mutual love of speed!

I’m very busy with the day to day administration of Equestria, but I will see if I can spare a moment stop by and shake the dust out of my wings so to speak!

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

My dearest Applejack,

You have my thanks for your delicious apple pie and the fruits of your labor. Your hard work and dedication to your family’s craft never ceases to warm my heart!

Everfree is a unique region, I will admit. It is a relic of a time when ponies were not the stewards of Equestria, when the forces of nature had free reign over the land. But I will not bore you with a history lecture. Suffice to say that, like the Zebras, Everfree is merely different. It is not inherently malicious or evil; just unique.

Learning to trust is always difficult. I myself have been assisting Luna with getting to know and trust the ponies who now inhabit Equestria, as well as the other way around. Her redemption is not a single event, but an ongoing process, just like maintaining your apple orchards.

I am glad that you are continuing to learn about the magic of friendship and continuing to grow your relationships!

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

My dearest Spike,

It is good to hear from you again! After all, your own growth is just as important as Twilight’s. Speaking of Twilight, would you give her a nudge for me? It seems that she’s been absorbed in her studies as of late and it wouldn’t hurt to give her a gentle reminder that we are all still here for her.

It is great that the Sisterhooves Social has gone so well and even better that Twilight’s friends (and their sisters, too!) have been given the chance to grow their relationships. I am very busy with my duties in Canterlot, but I know Luna would enjoy some time among the other ponies… as well as staying up past her usual bedtime! I will see what I can do!

Take care, Spike.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...