Selected Correspondence between Twilight Sparkle, Star Sparkle and HRH Princess Celestia
All letters are printed with permission. With thanks to the Canterlot National Archive for portions of this text.
Dearest Twilight,
You haven’t written for a little while. As I’ve yet to hear of any disastrous magical phenomena or overly melodramatic revelations concerning Ponyville, I have to assume that you’ve found something to entertain your prodigious mind? I look forward to the outcome.
Princess Celestia
Dear Princess Celestia,
I’m ashamed to say I’ve been a little remiss in my studies recently. Very little is happening at the moment here, we all seem to have settled into a nice routine again, so I’ve taken the opportunity to do some background research for a paper I’m considering on the social effects of interspecies relationships. Unfortunately that’s not left much time to, you know, write letters, though it has given me the opportunity to work on the anxiety management exercises you and Luna showed me.
Other than that... Rainbow and Lero seem to be getting on extremely well. I’ve never seen Rainbow groundside as much as the last few weeks. Lero seems to have adapted to the relationship with surprising ease. It’s nice to see Rainbow happy like this, actually sharing herself with somepony instead of just showing off to them.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
Dearest Twilight,
I would be interested to learn more of this paper. Having read your previous work I’m sure it will be well-regarded by the appropriate journals and it’s an interesting topic, on which you will have extensive experience, I’m sure. However, please don’t be tempted to rely on a single data-point; you must be sure to examine the concept from every possible perspective. I’m sending you a few books on the subject that I don’t think your library has. You may recognise the author of some of them.
As for Lero and Rainbow, I take it they’re still keeping their relationship secret? It must be hard to hide something like that by now.
Princess Celestia
P.S. While I remember, the Dean of Canterlot University has been pestering me about offering you a position. Of course I’m sure you’d be completely uninterested in a research fellowship at the Principality’s most prestigious university so I told him to go away.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I hope you didn’t tell him that! Of course I’d accept an offer - if it was suitable to my research and didn’t interfere with my studies here!
You didn’t really tell him that, right?
Oh the books arrived! I already have a copy of Hearts, Hooves and the Hindi but it was a personal copy that I’d kept in the reference section for completeness sake. These are going to be so useful! I can already see the direction this paper might take.
Rainbow and Lero are still keeping their relationship secret. It’s not like anypony who spent more than a few minutes with them couldn’t work it out but I guess, if that’s what they want, who am I to argue? They didn’t exactly pursue a traditional courting to begin with, from what I understand.
On that note, another reason I’d not been writing is that I’ve had something I wished to discuss, but it’s a little personal and I honestly didn’t know how to bring it up. I thought at first I should talk to my mother about it, but I’m not sure how she’d react. I’m worried I might alienate her. Is that wrong?
Twilight
Twilight,
I know what you’re going to ask and, to be frank, I’ve expected this for some time. No, it’s not wrong to be nervous. Yes, you should speak to your mother.
It’s a big step, for you especially. My enormous palace door is always open if you want to talk.
Celestia
Dear mother
Mom,
I know I’ve not written for a while. I think my last letter was probably around the time those little parasprite critters tore up Ponyville. I’ve seen you since then anyway so it’s probably not important, but I guess I should have written.
How’s dad?
Actually I can probably guess, up to his eyeballs in another astronomical conundrum, or some new discovery.
I suppose
Mom I’m no good at this small talk. I wrote to you because I have something to ask and I didn’t want to seem like it was just coming out of the blue, but you’d see that anyway. You always can.
I’ll be brief. I’ve met someone and I’m thinking about courting them, but I’m not sure how to go about it.
In love,
Twilight
Twilight,
I was so very sure we’d had this talk before you went to Celestia’s School. In fact I distinctly recall spending the day with that rather nice herd when I came to visit, so you can hardly be a stranger to courting.
Now lets see. You’ve met somepony... but oh my, oh gasp and horror, you’ve met someone. How eccentric you youngsters are! I can’t wait to tell the other girls, they’ll be absolutely thrilled at the thought.
I know it can’t be that cute little dragon you have with you, he’s far too young and really not your type, so who can it be?
Not that I don’t have my suspicions!
Your loving mother,
Star
P.S. Your father is absolutely fine and certainly hasn’t decided to invade the palace to complain about Princess Luna meddling with ‘his’ stars.
Mother,
Now I remember why I stopped writing. Did you ever take anything I say seriously?
His name is Lero, which I’m sure you already knew if you’ve been reading the newspapers, and he’s currently herding with a friend of mine, Rainbow Dash. After my last letter I managed to pluck up the courage to speak to Dash, since she’s the lead of his herd. Well, she’s the only mare in his herd, so that sort of makes her the lead by default. She said she’d talk to him.
I guess I’m committed. Or maybe I should be.
Twilight
Dearest Twilight,
At my age, with my work, and my experience, I feel I’m entitled to take a lax view of the world now and then, don’t you think?
But of course I take what you say seriously! You are my youngest and most precious child, after all. I would never joke about anything if I thought you wouldn’t be able to see the humour in it too.
Now as for this herd you’re chasing? I believe I recall Rainbow Dash from the wedding. Rather brash pegasus, with a lightning bolt on her deliciously tight flank? She reminds me of a zebra I used to spend time with when I was a student. Libonetse was always trying to prove she was a better- but that was a long, long time ago and you aren’t interested in your mother’s intellectual conquests, I’m sure.
Tell me about this young... ‘man’, is it? Perhaps I can give you some pointers. After all I am the expert on non-equine cultures in the family. If not I, then one of my colleagues at the University will certainly have some insight.
Star
Mother,
You are incorrigible.
If you must know, Rainbow and Lero have chosen to keep their relationship a secret for now. They’ve not been particularly traditional about it either, from what I understand, though given Rainbow’s complete lack of interest in mares I probably shouldn’t be surprised at anything their relationship throws up.
Lero is unusual, that would be the best way to put it, I think. Obviously there are the physical differences, but his mind is so very different as well. He’s intellectual and curious and he read all the books I gave him like he couldn’t live without them.
Bipedal you obviously know (how he balances without a tail is something I’ve never been able to work out but I have a hypothesis I’d like to test some day). His species is apparently patriarchal, which probably explains some of his behaviour in general, and he’s an omnivore. Other than that I’m not sure what to think about him.
If I assume a model based on the great apes, he’s likely to want to form a troupe with several beta males for foraging and a large number of females for, well, mating I suppose. I’d have to take some time thinking about how that sort of behaviour would be modified by sapience and culture. I don’t even know where to begin.
He doesn’t seem to act like an ape, though, even if he does somewhat resemble one. I suppose I could ask Rainbow, but I’m not sure she’d be able to give me the sort of answers I’m after. In fact I’m not sure what kind of answer I would get at all.
There has to be a solution.
Twilight
Twilight,
Unless he is hanging from a tree and throwing his poop at you, do not use those creatures as a model! In fact, stop talking about models completely. He’s a sapient being, not a science project.
I’ll send you some books on the subject of interspecies courting if that’s what it will take to calm you down. Please please please just for once do not do anything silly.
Star
Mother
Oh you just gave me a wonderful idea! Princess Celestia sent me some books on that very subject recently, I think one was even written by one of your colleagues. Perhaps I can find something in there!
Twilight
Twilight,
I believe I know the book you’re thinking of. Doctor Aegidienberger is a fine scholar with a keen interest in interspecies relations, but her experience on this subject is not nearly as extensive as my own and that particular work lacks the deep historical knowledge necessary to fully appreciate some of the more subtle behaviours of other species. I doubt you’ll find anything directly useful in there, though I suppose it can be good background material for a broader general understanding of the subject.
Please don’t do anything rash, Twilight. I know you’re excited and this is all very novel for you, but I also know you have a tendency to mimic your father’s more, shall we say, ‘fanciful behaviours’ when you’re excited, and I’d rather not have to deal with a repeat of the telescope incident.
Your loving mother,
Star
Mother,
Sorry for the lateness of this reply, my date’s in half an hour and I’ve been tied up for most of the day constructing a hypothetical model of Lero’s social structure based on my research. I just wanted to let you know that I love you and you’ve been a great help!
Oh I’m nervous as a little filly! Wish me luck! Of course by the time you get this the date will probably be over and I’ll be back home celebrating my success. But wish me luck anyway!
Twilight
Twilight,
Again with the models! I am going to have severe words with that tutor of yours if this is how you go through life. She’s a princess for Iovi’s sake, she should know better! I just hope you didn’t do something silly like try to construct an analogue of his society by mixing up a pastiche from the descriptions in Aggie’s book.
Star
So I've got a crapload of work this week, which means I'm not going to have much time to do anything with this. Got a load of stuff to edit up before I can post it - it's all written, it's just terrible. And by terrible I mean "worse than what's here" (no that isn't fishing for compliments ).
Daily updates were fun but they must sadly end for a little while.
1567765 I'm glad you liked it.
inb4 that's EXACTLY what she did.
And of course, Twilight did precisely what her mother warned her not to do.
I love your portrayal of "Trollestia", archonix. Telling Twilight that the most prestigious job offer in her court was turned down was hilarious.
i prefer these chapters that i can understand
ah twilight...you cant model everything.
This is pretty silly.
Love Twilight's mother in these letters. She reminds me a bit of one of my aunts.
1568609
And yet still hilarious.
THIS! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Twilight_Sparkle_lolface.png
imgs.xkcd.com/comics/dignified.png
On a more scientific note, humans are remarkably cooperative and pacifistic for apes. Shove 150 non-related humans who have never met before into a small metal tube for three hours, and they'll mostly be fine. Do the same thing with chimps, and expect a huge death toll.
Lost it.
My word, you're being prolific with this. How much did you have prepared when you first submitted the story?
I always do like an intrepretation of Celestia that an laugh at herself.
Most hilarious suspiciously specific denial I've seen in a long time. I would so read this story. I may have to write it.
I love what you did with Twilight's parents. Truly ingenious work on both of them. I may adopt some of this into my headcanon.
Also, "Lady" Star Sparkle? So Twilight's technically nobility? I've seen this done before, and it's an interesting and logical take on her social situation. I like it.
Annnnd Twilight completely misses the point. Again. But thats why we love her I suppose.
1568575
1568603 Like that's ever stopped her before.
1568635 You must have wonderful aunts.
1568649>>1568684>>1568694 Couldn't help myself.
1568724 I suppose technically it's a spoiler, but what the hey: Lucent (that's Twilight's dad) is a Duke and an only child, and consequently a leetle bit strange due to his upbringing. Star is only nobility by marriage, so she can't call herself a Duchess for some obscure reason that I've not come up with yet.
It's too bad Twilight only inherited her parents' supreme genius and not knack to be sensible about it. But then again, that's what makes Twilight the awesome and silly pony we all know and love. Thanks for another awesome chapter.
Trollestia is best Celestia, and Twi's mom is delightful. I nearly lost it with the "telescope incident".
In retrospect, I'm headcanoning this as referring to Twilight's mother, as opposed to large astronomical bodies. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png
Oh Luna, keep yourself to yourself...
But...Twilight's mom is Twilight Velvet. Great characterization of her, though!
1568506
I just wanted to pop in and say that I really like this story/collection of works. It's very interesting and serves as a wonderful compliment to the Xenophile story (which is awesome in of itself).
I'd also like to say that it inspired me to create something similar:Something Similar
In particular, I'd like to draw your attention to the part in there about genetics, as I believe that explains the gender dichotomy better than "70% of males are stillborn because idk". Though I don't know how much of that information is appropriate for ponies to already be aware of as my story is explicitly the works of a human analyzing these things and bringing a modern college education to the table (including bases of information that ponies just haven't gotten to yet for various reasons). Otherwise, I loved your portion on the evolution of ponies.
Commenting on this particular chapter, I'd just like to say that more letters after the fact would've been nice. While it's nice to end it on that funny note "I hope you didn't do X!" (She did X exactly), it seems to be cut off and shortened heavily because of it. It doesn't feel very... organic, for lack of better word. The 'conversation' as it were, cut off too abruptly.
1568724>>1568768
I say, old bean, that if her parents weren't nobility before their oldest son married a princess, they certainly are NOW
1568840 I saw this a little while back and I did have a quick read through. I've been meaning to go back and give it a thorough going-over... triploid genetics, hm? Interesting thought.
If you want the real scoop: Snuggglepuff and Alondro (the scientist, not the commenter) actually made mistakes in their statistical analysis and missed a very important element of what was going on in their study. They're only included there because it's a historical record that wasn't amended in time.
See, I can make it up with the best of em!
As for the letters... what can I say, it felt like a good spot to end. These letter sections tend to lead thematically into something else in what I've written so far, so they often end at odd points.
xDDD i absolutely love twilights mom xD not to mention shes pretty tolerant of the subject which i greatly respect now i wish velvet actually MET lero :3 ahh the memories that coulda been TwT
Bravo and Encore my good man! However, I will require another chapter post haste in order to sate my desire for more equine hijinx.
1568872 ...Point.
D'awwww the mom/daughter thing was executed perfectly ... mums&relationship stuff =
Hm, were any of these books Twilight got referenced in the actual story?
1568876
Heh, nice. And I mostly hope that to provide an interesting alternative or food for thought.
For example: The next chapter in mine will be on the genetics of "alicorns" and noting how messed up the term and expectations are. (I can't believe I forgot it in the story linked, but there's supposed to be 5 distinct forms of genetic dominance in my hypothesized Equestrian genetics).
Personally, I consider the alicorns like Celestia and Luna to be one thing, and they're not *just* genetic. You don't get like *that* with just genetics. But someone like Candence? Whether or not she's an alicorn or just a unicorn/pegasus hybrid, is purely genetic. In the system I'm working on, to be an alicorn (a three-part hybrid) would require 8 different sets of chromosomes having a triplet of the three most recessive kind of genes. Which would mean that a genetic alicorn would, even if there was only one other kind of gene (instead of the 4 others), be exceedingly rare.
As in, one out of several billion rare.
And that assumes a lot of stuff to make it easier and simpler on the math. Really, it'd be even rarer than that to have a true genetic alicorn.
And even then, those (probably long lived) beings wouldn't be Alicorns in the sense that the Princesses are. As in Xenophillia, the Princesses are implied to be the equivalent to Fae Queens, which puts them solidly in the "Essentially a God" category from our perspective. I highly doubt just genetics would get you that, and would definitely leave how "True Alicorns" come about as mysterious, especially in the scientific community.
1568943
(_________ _.'``''-....
(___.-' _,
(_(_.-' `
(__)__,-"``'-----
For some reason I want to see their reaction to lero playing a glass harp
Hah!
I want to see the result of that conversation, as well as the details of the "telescope incident".
Twilight’s mother is best OC pony mother.
Oh god, this chapter, this chapter.
Usually I refuse to read stories that involve human/equine romantic relationships, but this analytical approach makes the story surprisingly enjoyable. Well done.
For all that this pretends to be dry and clinical, I laughed my face off.
Also:
Maximum Trollestia activated.
1569244
Read Xenophilia. You won't be dissapointed
I love your characterization of Twilight's mom. This story keeps getting better!
indubitaly the 2nd best work i have yet to find someone as good as the writer of pulling through and reunion
Look at it stand alone, and I see a story. Look at it with Xenophilia right next to it and it turns into a giant innuendo.
... the balls is wrong with me?
1569244
This is a sidestory of a sort for the story Xenophilia (Warning: Sex/Mature). A very popular story that does quite a bit of world building, and is a really good romance story, though be warned, it does have explicit sex in some of the chapters.
Heck, the last line -
Is something Twilight does actually do in the date. Chapter Dinner for Three (This chapter does not involve sex)
1569531
One of my favourite chapters. Poor Twilight, she tries so hard.
1569417 The better question is... which endo is it in?
1569339 Success! Yeah, Trollestia is bestlestia.
1569022 The book by Doctor Aegidienberger (aka Aggie) is a reference to the book 1569531 mentioned.
1569041 Alternative points of view are always interesting. I've taken the view that the alicorns are a separate species but the way you've handled it also does rather nicely account for how rare they are.
1568811 I saw as many pages calling her Star Sparkle as Twilight Velvet. I think I prefer Star Sparkle for this one. It makes her more spikey.
1569417
what story (nudge nudge. ;) ;) )
1569557
Well, by a scientific definition of "species", all of Equinis Nobilis are on species with various subspecies much like Humans and Neanderthals, only with very distinct dividing lines between one or the other. Had they remained distinct for an extensive period of time, or geographically seperated for a long time they'd have probably become separate species.
But they weren't, and the fact that a hybrid is in any way possible (Candance and if fan-theory is correct, Blueblood as well as a Unicorn/Earth hybrid) then it's further support for them all being a single species, but each type of pony being a specialized "breed", somewhere between dog breeds and the Neanderthal/Modern Man split, with hybrids obviously being rare.
This implies that alicorns are possible to achieve through genetics, though whether those on par with the two Princesses are possible due to genetics or not can't be drawn from this data, I prefer to think not.
Lero have fantastic mother in law from Twilight side of family.... Star is amazing mare!
Yes, update!
1569579 She's an old-school pony; my wife still has her Twilight Velvet toy from almost thirty years ago. Same colors, same cutie mark. Heck, she's even Twilight Velvet in the new blind bags.
Your story, of course, but I guess I just don't favor changing what's already there, even as you add things that aren't.
1561728 If dragons on Earth had existed and were as strong as the ones in Equestria, we'd have been utterly bucked. What chance would Medieval man have had against a creature that could chew up diamonds and bathe in liquid hot magma? Heck, even a baby dragon's scales (Spike) are fairly resistant to penetration by steel. Against an adult, it'd take multiple direct hits with artillery to bring one down.
Dragons are the one unusually OP race in Pony. If they were truly aggressive, either the ponies would have had no choice but to exterminate them long ago using deadly magical applications, or the dragons would have wiped the ponies out. They're too powerful for it to end in any but either of those two ways were they to take an antagonistic/predatory stance against the ponies.
Twas glorious. I loved this chapter.
Twilight's Mother deserves a spin-off.
1569634>>1569557 *me gusta*
1568530 e.deviantart.net/emoticons/t/trollface.png