//------------------------------// // Three Tenses of Friendship // Story: Sunlight's Saccharine Sack of Sufferable Sour Sounds // by Sunlight Rays //------------------------------// Dear Princess Celestia, They say that friendship is magic. And as the Princess of Friendship, I can attest to that. From the day until I arrived in Ponyville to this very moment, I never forgot how much my friends meant to me. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. The five best friends I could have ever asked for. They are still my best friends, and they will continue to be. It was what I said when time itself set us apart, it’s still what I tell myself today, and it’s what I’ll continue to tell myself far into the future. After my friends passed, I’ve made lots of other friends. I met the next generation of the Element bearers. I made friends with all sorts of species, from dragons to yaks, from griffons to hippogriffs, and from zebras to deers. During all that time, thanks to the legacy of my five best friends, friendship continued to be magic. Time continued to flow after that. The second generation of the Element bearers passed away, and I met the third generation. My friends, my nonpony friends from all over the Equestrian continent passed away too. But I made new friends. After a handful of expeditions, we discovered a new type of creature on the other side of Equus that resembled frogs, except that they were sentient and could talk. Needless to say, we became friends fairly quickly. More time passed, and now the Elements themselves were no longer needed. Thanks to the ideals and lessons of Friendship spreading throughout the nation, the creatures of Equestria stood united more than ever before. Most problems could be solved without having to rely on the elements or having to wait for me to intervene. When a massive forest fire bigger than anything that was recorded in Equestria history burned through the Whitetail Woods, pegasi quickly stormed to gather rain clouds to put out the fire, while the unicorns used their fine-tuned magic to prevent the fires from spreading further. The Earth ponies worked to rescue any poor creature who was trapped within the burning forest. Thanks to their efforts, the fire was put out in record time. When an earthquake devastated Manehattan, creatures, both ponies and non-ponies, rushed to and fro as they worked to pull out others from under demolished buildings, treat the critically wounded, or put the fires caused by the earthquake out. They celebrated together when long lost families found each other at last, and mourned together when they dug up the bodies of their loved ones. Their combined efforts brought Manehattan back up from ashes, keeping it the most prosperous city of Equestria. When an eldritch monster threatened to level Ponyville to the ground, its citizens rushed to fight off the monster that had invaded their hometown. Once again they gathered their wisdom, sympathy, and bravery together, and with their combined strength they drove the horrifying figure back into the Everfree. By the time I had arrived, the situation was over, save for ponies greeting me as they began to go back to their lives. And now, I feel like I finished my job as the Princess of Friendship. My ponies, no, my subjects have achieved so much without my help. They have learned the power of friendship, and with it, they have cleared so many obstacles without relying on the Elements or their princess. They know how to deal with problems without my help, so I feel like I’m no longer needed. Therefore, I have made a very important decision. I am abdicating the throne and giving the rulership back to my subjects. No, this is not a decision that I made lightly. I put my thoughts into it for many days and nights, and have arrived at my current conclusion; I can put enough faith in my subjects for them to rule themselves with fairness. Celestia, remember the five Elements of Harmony aside from magic? Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, and Laughter? When I left the palace while thinking about abdication to clear my thoughts, everywhere I went was full of those five traits. No one lied to each other, nor did anyone betray each other in times of difficulty. Creatures generously gave what they had to each other, and they almost never yelled at each other first. Laughter filled the air in every alley and every house. That was enough for me to make my decision. Equestria was finally ready to move on without someone to guide them. For friendship was, and is, and ever will be, magic. I’ll visit you sometime after I come down from the throne. Tell Luna I said hello, and I hope to see you in Silver Shoals. Your Always Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle