The sun shone bright on the sky, the birds were singing, flowers were blooming, the grass was green and ponies were coming in and through the little town called Ponyville. There, the weather was perfect, the ponies were smiling, and in the sky, a carriage was arriving.
On it, a little unicorn was setting her eyes on the town below, and at her side, a little purple and green dragon was talking with her, eager to look for a conversation with his friend and pointing out the bright side of their situation, even if the mare didn’t think in anything like that.
The unicorn, with purple coat, and cobalt mane was telling her companion that she didn't need to come to this town to learn anything. She was fine in the library, she was comfortable being surrounded by books and her teacher. She told him how she didn't need anything else, she thought she was happy, as happy as she could be, and that what she really wanted was to know about the evil presence that she foresaw on her readings that same day.
She complained until they landed on the grass in front of a huge tree, soon she was walking to her new home, mumbling about how she should be investigating the Mare in the Moon and not playing around some kind of old town. That new home was one that was imposed on her, she didn’t ask for it, she didn’t wanted it. Despite the nature of this, she found herself feeling better when she knew she was going to live in a library, like she always wanted to.
Inside, she saw dozens and dozens of books, many she hasn’t read before. She was excited for that new knowledge, for those new worlds she could explore, those windows to the mind of other ponies, and those new spells she could learn. She thought of sitting there and sort them one by one while she categorized every one of them on a list of paper. She was dreaming of that, she wanted that so much, but she had other things to do.
She looked upstairs. The moment she found her bed, the thought that she was not in her home anymore settled in. Her dear teacher and mentor wasn’t anymore with her, she had been forced to live somewhere else, away from everything she loved, just to find ponies she didn't care about and to learn something in what she didn't believe.
She felt trapped. Like if somepony else had made a choice for her and was taking her future away. She wanted to be the most powerful unicorn of all time, she wanted to learn and to use all the spells she could, to read, to write, and to be the best she could. She was happy with her library because she knew that every book she read meant one step further to finally make her dream come true.
Now that dream was set on hold because of the pony she most believes in told her to do something she couldn’t comprehend, something she thought was useless, something she couldn’t understand.
She felt betrayed, restrained. Like a joke. Her chest began to constrain her as her eyes tried to betray her and threatened her to cry out loud. To scream that it wasn't fair, that it wasn’t what she wanted, that no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t understand it. She desperately wanted to know why Celestia took that decision, she wanted to scream out loud that it didn’t make any sense.
She took a deep breath. Her chest did hurt, her respiration was shaking. Her most loyal assistant was going to be there in a matter of seconds and she didn't want him to watch her trembling, almost on the verge of crying. In desperate, she picked a book from the shelve, the first one she saw. She levitated it, her magic felt weak, she felt weak, still, she put the book in front of her face and waited for the worst.
The moment she opened the book, a single envelope fell off. She noticed it, doubting about what it was, picking it afterwards, looking for a name or some kind of instructions.
"For Twilight," it said. On purple ink and with a six-star seal, awfully familiar to her own cutie mark.
She thought it was a letter from her teacher. That she sent her there because she knew the answers she was looking for where there. She felt relieved, like if her hopes on her mentor were restored, like if her path was bright once again.
She opened the envelope. Breaking the seal, making a loud sound across the lonely library.
Inside, there was a letter.
"Hey little Twilight, don't you cry.
I'm you, from much later in the time. I know you probably feel lonely, you might feel like this is not what you're meant to be. Like if this wasn't you. Like if friendship is not what you're looking for.
But let me tell you. Friendship is exactly what you're looking for.
Do you remember those nights were you were crying on Canterlot's library? How much you wanted to talk about that new spell you found, about that new author you liked? How much you wanted somepony to help with all your knowledge?
Do you remember that day when you were walking through the streets and suddenly, the world felt empty? You felt empty."
She remembered that. It happened not so long ago when she was coming back from the library with new books. In an instant, she thought that all those ponies, all her books, and that she was going to read them all alone. Deep inside she wanted to be with others, even if she didn’t know it. Her tears began to flow through her cheeks as she was trying to suppress her cry.
After a few seconds, she continued.
"Twilight, don't you know that you're awesome on the inside?
Close your eyes.
What you see?"
She hesitated, she thought it was useless, it was only a piece of paper, nothing else, still, she was curious about the letter. She closed her eyes, slowly, feeling her tears on her eyelids and flowing through her cheeks.
In her mind, an image formed. She was on Canterlot, wearing a beautiful blue dress as she was looking below dozens of ponies. It was a celebration of some kind. She saw many ponies greeting her and the sun setting in. She felt utter bliss as she had never felt before in her whole life. She was as happy as she had never been and seeing those ponies below made her wanted to cry of pure happiness. She felt so many emotions at the same time that she couldn't help but open her eyes.
"That's you!" Said the letter. "You're a Princess now!
The Princess of Friendship!
There, right where you are, you will meet six incredible ponies. Your most beloved friends. Your true friends.
Together you'll face even Tartarus. You will go all over Equestria and beyond, you will be the best you can be, they will make you the best you can be.
There will be moments that you will want to go back, to be what you always wanted to be. But believe me, believe in you, you will be even better than you could ever imagine.
Twilight, don't you know that you are great?
In Ponyville you'll find more than you could possibly imagine. Your future. Your life. Your true self.
You're still the nerdy pony you always been, you still love books, you brushing your mane the same old way, you still absolutely loving libraries and organize them, you still the same, despite everything, it's still you.
But you finally found your way.
With your friends.
And you love them, and they love you.
The moments you'll live with them will be your most treasured memories in your long life. They will give you strength beyond any spell you could learn, and together you will learn the most powerful magic of all time.
Friendship.
Friendship is Magic, Twilight. Never forget that.
No matter how hard things get, you'll always have your friends, and they will always have you.
Friendship isn’t always easy, but there’s no doubt it’s worth fighting for!
And you will fight. For them, and for you...
You're a great mare, Twilight... You're just getting into a fairly weird time. Soon you will feel a glimpse of what I'm telling you… A glimpse of friendship.
Don't give up!
Don't stop being what you really are! An incredible pony who always gives her best…
Be yourself.
You'll love the future, Twilight. I promise.
I'll be waiting for you.
From: Twilight Sparkle.
For: Twilight Sparkle.
Be yourself. Stay awesome!"
The letter finished.
A single tear stained the letter as she thought about those words. About how she felt. About the future.
A few seconds later her most loyal assistant came in, "Twilight, are you coming?" he said, pointing at a pink pony that was waiting outside.
She cleaned her face and step up. Watching at that door and wondering about that unbelievable future she foresaw.
"Sure… Let's go."
As she was walking outside, she saw a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane sleeping on a cloud, she thought about the last words in that letter.
"You'll love the future." She whispered to herself, a huge smile growing on her face. "I promise."