Hi Dinky!
I know you just left a few minutes ago, but I didn't want you to wait for my first letter over there! You'll be great over in Canterlot, I just know it!
Ignore all the burn marks around the paper. I tried my hoof at homemade muffins, but it didn't work out so well. I'm just going to the Sugar Cube Corner from now on. I don't want to pay for another half dozen fire extinguishers again!
How is it in Canterlot? A pony that looked like a marshmallow told me all about it once she heard you're going to Magical Summer Camp. She says they all wear clothing like they need to cover something up. Now that's just silly! You don't need clothes, you're a pony! But she says there's a lot of unicorns, maybe they can teach you a few spells while you're there!
And how's Cadence? It must be amazing having her as your babysitter over there. She has wings AND a horn, and she's a princess! The last time I met a princess, I crashed into her while she was raising the sun, almost setting the entire time clock back thirty seconds.
Tell me how things are going, and I can't wait to see your letter!
Happy muffins,
Mom
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Dear Mom,
It's weird in Canterlot. That marshmallow is right, everypony has clothes on, and they look really nice. One even sparkled in the sunlight, and I wanted to look at it all day. But then Cadence told me it's rude to stare at ponies like that. She's a lot like you.
Wait, there's a talking marshmallow in Ponyville? How didn't I know about it? Marshmallows are delicious!
There's no comfy dirt roads anywhere. It feels like stone everywhere I trot. I got used to it, but I want to go home already.
And Cadence is wonderful! She has some amazing stories to tell me, like the time she and her husband stopped a lot of changelings from destroying Equestria! She tells me that the camp is going to be hard, but she thinks I'll be really good. I don't know, I never moved anything with my horn before.
But she tells me not to worry about it. It took her a while before she learned how to use magic, and now she's so powerful she can defeat whole armies!
And don't worry about the burnt letter. It smells like a blueberry muffin, and that's my favorite flavor!
Miss you,
Dinky
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Hi again Dinky,
She's not a marshmallow after all. I tried to take a bite and she tasted like some nasty perfume! The doctor says it might take a while for my wings to get better, she really wasn't happy that I thought she was a food.
I looked at the calender, and you start camp tomorrow! It's OK if you don't know anything about magic right now. That's why you're at that camp, so you can learn everything for the first time.
Cadence sounds wonderful, just like Twilight told me. That unicorn told me all the best stories too, about all the things they did together. She'll be a lot of fun if even half the stories are true.
No dirt roads? But how are you supposed to kick the ground if you get frustrated? Kick a rock over across the street? Hey, that sounds pretty fun...
Tell me how it goes tomorrow, and I'll see you again soon!
Hugs and snuggles,
Mom
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Mom,
It was awful! One of the worst days of my life! Everypony made fun of me when I said I was from Ponyville. They kept calling me a backwards mule, so I tried really hard to learn the grip spell as hard as I could.
But I didn't learn anything either! I can't catch things in midair, I can't hold onto anything, I can't even make my horn glow! And they teased me even more, saying I was an Earth Pony who was messed up at birth with a horn! Why did I sign up for this stupid camp?
Cadence keeps telling me they're just bullies, and I shouldn't listen to them. But we got assigned to groups, and all of the ponies teasing me are in my group! I don't know what I'm going to do, this was so stupid! I'm an idiot for thinking I would be good at magic.
She's really trying to help me out, but I want you. Please come to Canterlot, please. I need you right now.
Dinky
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To my dear daughter,
I'm so sorry! I didn't know everypony in Canterlot really was such a snob. But you should know I went through that too.
When I was a filly and I went to Flight School, everypony made a joke about my cross eyes. Everypony. On top of that, I couldn't fly straight for years. Every day after school I ran to my mother, asking why those ponies were so mean.
And she told me that I was better than those bullies. I was better than the name Cross Eyes they gave me at school. I was better than most fliers in Equestria, and I just needed to believe that.
I did believe it. After I did, I became a better flier with each passing day, because I worked hard to prove them wrong. It took some time, but eventually I graduated from Flight School at the top of my class.
I know it's not easy, and that their insults feel terrible. But right now, you're so young that anything can happen. Don't believe that you're a mule, believe you can be one of the best magicians that ever lived, and one day it will happen.
With love,
Your Mother
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Dear Cadence,
Hello. It's cool that I can write to a princess, but I'm the mother of the filly you're foalsitting, Dinky Hooves. She told me everything that happened the past few days, and all I wish I could do right now is come down and hug her, to tell her everything is going to be OK. But I can't. My office is behind in the mail schedule right now, and I have no choice but to not take vacation days and stay in Ponyville.
But I trust you with my child right now. She's really sensitive I know, but she's one of the most amazing ponies you'll ever get to meet. Please take good care of her, like I know you can, just like you did with Twilight.
Just do whatever you can to help her out during camp this week. If she needs a shoulder to cry on, please do it. If she needs somepony to go with her to magical camp, I know you can be there to cheer her on.
I wish you two luck, and thank you for receiving this letter. It meant a lot to me you listened.
Signed,
Derpy Hooves
Chief Mailpony of Ponyville
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To Derpy Hooves,
I think it means more to Dinky you wanted this for her. She has been going through a rough time, but even without your words I can see so much potential in her.
But it's heartbreaking to see her be like this. I hear her calling your name in her sleep every night. There's been a few times where she wakes up screaming, and I have to comfort her for an hour. I don't mind, but I'm as hopeful as you are that she finds her strength.
I will be there for her while she's still in Canterlot, and do not fret over what the other fillies and colts are going to say to her from now on. They're not going to argue with a princess, will they?
Signed,
Cadence
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Mommy,
I took your advice, and now Cadence is coming along with me to camp! It's been so great today, she's been cheering me on like a big sister! Now nopony tries to make fun of me, but I don't know why. I think they all like Cadence a lot.
But I'm still not learning anything. My horn is starting to glow, but I can't cast anything yet. This is getting silly, I know I can do it.
Everything is great. I met Cadence's husband, this other pony that looks like a marshmallow with a blue mane, just like Rarity except she has a purple mane! I told him Cadence is becoming like my big sister, and he thought it was adorable. He told me they hope they can be parents soon, so she's a mother too. I don't know, she's fine just as my big sis.
Still, it's frustrating that I can't do any spells. Even though I think I can be as good as Twilight Sparkle, I'm not doing anything while everypony else already has gripped everything they could without getting in trouble. Thankfully, that doesn't include the teachers. They almost look like pegasi when they were up in the air!
See you in a few days,
Dinky
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Hello Dinky,
Really? Trust me, you don't want to eat a marshmallow anytime soon. They like to kick back if you try to munch on them, so be careful out there.
Don't give up on the spells just yet. You're really close to casting your first ever, and I'm sure it will be like the first time I got off the ground. It was almost the best moment of my life, second only to the first time I met you.
And we'll see if Cadence wants to be your Canterlot sister. She'll be busy if she ever becomes a mother, take it from your own. But she's somepony you can put your faith in, believe me. I've seen what kind of character she is, and I wish she was my sis too.
Good luck out there,
Mom
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To Derpy,
I know you've been believing me with Dinky's well being lately. And we have become close friends in only a few days. I hope this isn't the last time I see anypony in your family, because she's been showing me some of your letters and I would like to meet you soon.
And that's why I'm making this announcement to you first: I'm pregnant.
I cannot say just how excited Shining and I are. I will continue to watch over her, but this is one of the best days of my life. Since you're a mother yourself, what should I prepare for first? Is there a right way to do it, or is it OK if I do it my way?
Signed,
Princess Cadence, Mom To Be
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Hey Mom,
I DID MY FIRST SPELL! I DID MY FIRST SPELL!
I used the grip one on myself, and I was even flying for a few minutes! Cadence flew with me, and it felt like a dream. I saw everypony in Canterlot up there at once, and I could even see Ponyville off in the distance, and I think it was you crashing into the Corner. I don't know, please don't ground me if I told Cadence you were the pony that was crashing everywhere.
And all the fillies and colts are warming up to me, especially the ones that were bulling me. You were right, all I had to do is believe I can do anything, and I did it!
But Cadence is acting funny. Her belly has some kind of growth, and every time I talk about it, she cries in joy and Shining has this weird grin on his face. I don't get it. Can you tell me what's the big deal?
She tells me I'm coming home tomorrow night, but I don't want to go! I like it here, and Cadence really is my big sis out here. Maybe we can visit while it's summer?
Signed,
Dinky
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To Princess Cadence,
Dinky just came home last night. You should have seen the look on her face when she lifted me off the ground with her own horn! I felt really weird, but it was worth it for her expression.
My husband has come home after another time traveling episode, and even he can't believe how fast she is growing up.
I don't know how to thank you as much as you deserve. But I do have something in mind. You see, she told me you two were really close, and you want help on becoming a mother, right?
So I've been saving up for a while, and now I got thousands of bits. And I asked the head of all the mail services if I could change offices.
And here's my big announcement: We're moving to Canterlot. Then, Dinky can hang with you all the time, and I can help you and Shining while you become parents for the first time. It's going to take a lot of hard work, but I know you two are up to it.
Hope to see you soon,
Derpy Hooves
Newest Canterlot Mailpony