Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I finally arrived in Hoofington and thus begins my official exploration of Equestria and the lands beyond. While I actually will not be exploring the lands beyond the sea just yet, I felt that Hoofington was a good place to start. It’s a nice little town, the population is actually a little bit larger than Ponyville as I’m sure you know. You may be interested to know that my initial appearance here sparked outrage before they realized that I was not, in fact, the return of Trixie. If I should come across her in my travels, I should like to have a word with her. From what I’ve heard, she’s a good show pony but her tact and ego apparently leave much to be desired.

Hoofington has some taller buildings than Ponyville, though because of its proximity to Seasaddle Bay and the waters beyond, many of the ones on the shore are on what the locals call stilts. Stilts! Can you believe this? I have been told that it’s for when the waters rise during a storm surge, to prevent the houses from floating away. What a clever idea! I shall have to remember this, it could come in handy somewhere. Many of the houses here are decorated with pretty seashells, some of which even remind me of your mane. When you hold one up to your hear, you can hear the ocean, no matter where you are. That’s true magic, indeed!

A delicious dish they have down here is something they call a fruit kebab. If you have never tried one, I highly recommend it! Though I would also recommend you stay away from the ones that have spicy peppers on them. I am assured that the combination of spicy and sweet is very tasty, my watering eyes and sour stomach later would disagree. Yet the grilled pineapple and peach had a very nice smoky aftertaste that I’m sure you would enjoy, particularily when dipped in chocolate.

I did not have the opportunity to try very many other dishes as I certainly had to move on. I’ve already spent three days here, and apparently my species is as scarce here as it is in Ponyville. I have already recieved two offers for my antlers, and one of them even offered to help speed up the falling off process. What a pity for them that my antlers do not fall off during the winter, unlike my more mundane cousins. Nor can I fly, though I have had to demonstrate how quickly I can run when confronted by too-curious townsfolk.

All in all, I would recommend at least a vacation retreat to the town of Hoofington to your Majesty, as well as possibly the occasional visit. While I am told that the storms here can be quite fierce on account of their proximity to water, the Seasaddle Bay is a wonderful place to take a dip (as they call it), and the feeling of the salty water in your hide is actually quite refreshing when you remove it during bathing later. Something about the air definitely has agreed with my nostrils too, and that pesky sneeze I picked up early this Fall has not followed me here.

My next report shall concern Rarity. The Element of Generosity, Rarity has quite frequently at times demonstrated this in her treatment of her friends. Though it is very peculiar and difficult to separate true generosity when she also devotes herself to a venture designed to bring herself a reward as well, nevertheless this unicorn outshines even herself from time to time. Rarity’s fashion sense is without parallel, and you may even be surprised to know that I prefer her outfits to many I have seen from Hoity Toity’s shop. I’m sure he has likely shivered somewhere without knowing why as a result of my writing that.

Her additional talent of seeking gems (Or perhaps, I should say, her primary talent) comes in very handy during her outfit making. I have never seen a unicorn integrate gemstones into clothing as beautifully as she does! Her attitude often contrasts the beauty she displays in her work, making it often difficult to know how to handle her. I have personally witnessed one meltdown after another over the smallest of things, while also having seen her as a pillar of strength when she needs to be. Her sister, Sweetie Bell, has such a fawning adoration of her big sister, and I am reminded to tell you of the Cutie Mark Crusaders having found my cave in Whitetail Wood sometime.

Her treatment of Sweetie Bell could use more guidance. Only recently I have learned that she participated in the Sisterhooves Social games held in Sweet Apple Acres, though I did not get the chance to watch. My sister, Stormy, has not been around in quite some time and even if she were, I doubt she would deign to make an appearance even for my sake. I was surprised to hear that Rarity hid in a mud pit for the better part of five minutes, right before a race started, where she traded places with Applejack! Though she did not begin the race with Sweetie Bell, she certainly finished in second place with her sister, proving that when she’s put on the right track she can show with the best ponies.

With more guidance from Your Majesty as well as her friends, I’m certain Rarity will grow more into the generous mare I know she will become someday. She still has many growing pains to endure, as we all do, and her learning experiences with her sister will certainly be quite different from Applejack’s experiences with Applebloom. It is a pity that Scootaloo’s sister has not been readily found, and if I had more time, I should have tried to cultivate more her relationship with Rainbow Dash, or perhaps a more reliable Pegasus Pony as a role model. Unfortunately, I must cut my letter short here, or my friend will find herself unable to deliver this volume in a timely manner.

And so I close, and I will send you a letter the next week from my visit in Roam. I hear this city rivals Manehattan, and I am looking forward to my arrival there.

Yours Truly,

Skye

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