Dear Princess Discord,
Sorry, force of habit. I normally start these things "Dear Princess Celestia", but maybe I should have changed that for you. I don't think even you can manage the mental gymnastics for us to address each other as "dear" unironically. Even after last time.
Which was rather what I wanted to thank you for, but that's not the way I write these things, so you'll have to wait for that. I know how patient you are.
What I normally write is about something that happened to me and my friends, with the serial numbers filed off to make it generally applicable, like I'm trying to put together an expert system for friendship. I'm writing to you because I don't think what I learned is friendship-related, and I thought you might have some ideas, because of what you said last time.
Today I realised that sometimes, when a pony helps another pony, the pony doing the helping can benefit just as much as the one being helped. This was in-line with my previous friendship reports and not really worth writing about on its own. Another thing I realised was that if you jump in and solve somepony's problems before they have a chance to try themselves, they might miss out on a chance to grow as a pony. My friend was having some trouble with cultists; it doesn't really matter what the trouble was; I know some magic tricks, and I could have picked them up with my mind. I ... didn't.
I know that you already know about this way of being somepony's acquaintance who is concerned about their personal growthfriend, because you told me so yourself after that business with the seeds. "Rob you of a valuable lesson of being a princess?" you said. I didn't believe you then; that was wrong of me and I'm sorry. It feels much more like the way Princess Celestia treats me than the sort of friendship I have with my Ponyville friends; the Princess always lets us try on our own, even if we're off to confront an immortal* nigh-omnipotent spirit of chaos. Letting ponies try and maybe giving them some words of encouragement rather than dealing with the problem yourself feels more like the the work of a mentor.
I found it terrifying. Who [am I/are you/are we] to decide that [my friend/your whatever I am to you... streightmare?]'s lessons are more important than solving whatever the problem is? Anyhow, I'd appreciate your thoughts, specifically those that are applicable to somepony bumbling her way through apotheosis, rather than those with only apply to a nigh-omnipotent spirit of chaos.
Your reluctant but not completely unteachable student,
TS
P.S Thought you'd like this bit: letting RD try on her own lead to the demolition of an ancient temple. As it turns out, she didn't need my help with that at all>.
* I know that you're going to shove the words along in defiance of physics so that you've got space to add "devilishly handsome". Stop it.