Views of Equestria

by Brian Sheil

Three views

I'm very impressed with the environment of Equestria. Ever since Danny, Molly, and I started to come here, we keep being impressed. Who'd thought it would be different than when it was Ponyland? The best part of this land, is the new friends we've been making. There's Twilight Sparkle: The Princess of Friendship and leader of the Mane Six. Also known as the Element of Magic. She has accomplished a lot since arriving in Ponyville. She and her friends battled Nightmare Moon and rescued Princess Celestia and all of Equestria from eternal night. Twilight freed her friends from the corruption caused by that chaos expert: Discord. And, saved the wedding of her brother, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadence from the deadly changeling army of Queen Chrysalis.
It's when she became an alicorn that her best was to come. After the defeat of Tirek, her castle was created, and her title was born. To me, her best accomplishment is the creation of the School of Friendship. She believes that many creatures can learn how to get along with each other.
Rainbow Dash: the Element of Loyalty. Can she be a bit cocky? Sure. But, she is very caring of her friends and her fellow members of the Wonderbolts. That's why Captain Spitfire is proud of her. Pinkie Pie: the Element of Laughter. Never fails to put a smile on anypony’s face. That pink pony is always good at making any party she plans successful. I can’t tell you how many times she showered me with her confetti cannon.
Rarity: The Element of Generosity. Elegant, sophisticated, ladylike, classy. There are times she shed her mannerisms to help others. Like when she stood up for her friends when snooty upstarts talked them down. As I discovered, there's more to her than just proper manners. Applejack: The Element of Honesty. There's a pony I can get along with. She's part of a proud farmer family. Being a farm girl myself, I can relate to her. Applejack and her family are all about being honest. Many citizens can learn from her.
Fluttershy: The Element of Kindness. Delicate, timid, but enjoys nature. Don’t let her nature fool you. She's not afraid to stand up to anyone who's pushy. She even helped reform Discord. Now, she and him are good friends. Hard to believe.

The many places that make up Equestria are as fascinating as the inhabitants. There's Canterlot: Home to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Things have been going well for Luna since the insidious Nightmare Moon is out of her system. I'm sure this city is still getting over that invasion Chrysalis orchestrated. It was at this city where Twilight Sparkle hatched a dragon egg. And, Spike came to be. He and Twilight have been a team ever since.
Downtown Ponyville is a nice quiet place. That crystal castle Twilight calls home is amazing. Especially that meeting table of her and the Mane Six. I recently talked to Starlight Glimmer. She's grateful to Twilight for giving her a chance to redeem herself. The Everfree Forest is full of surprises. Like those crazy Poison Joke flowers. The effects of those things depend on who comes across them. This is where the noble Zecora calls home. Megan told me of how she and Zecora found ingredients in these woods to make a brew to cure Diamon Tiara of a tummy ache. The scariest part, according to Megan, is the Castle of the Two Sisters. That's where jealousy and anger changed Princess Luna into the vicious Nightmare Moon.
The Crystal Empire is a sight to behold. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor are proud to live here. They are very grateful to Spike for how he helped save the Crystal Empire from the dreaded King Sombra. During a visit there, I was shown Cadence and Shining Armor's baby: Flurry Heart. I can’t believe that an alicorn can be born. The royal couple and the princesses were equally surprised. Megan likes visiting Sweet Apple Acres. Why not? It is a farm location. Applejack and her family are proud of their contributions to Equestria. No wonder my big sister gets along with them.

Many of the ponies I talked to like Granny Smith, Cranky Doodle, and even Mayor Mare told me that they and others can learn from the new generation. One example is when the rich filly, Diamond Tiara, learned about Friendship from the Cutie Mark Crusaders (Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle). This helped her stand up to her mother: Spoiled Rich. I guess Spoiled realized that what she taught was wrong. Diamond and Silver Spoon changed their ways after that. I can remember when I went to the Rich mansion to join a slumber party. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie, Diamond, Silver, and I had a great time together. It's that friendship that helped the Six of us clean up a playground so that new equipment can be put in.
Speaking of being helpful, that's what a group of students in Twilight's school were when they got together learning that all of the magic of Equestria is going away. These six students banded together to free that magic from that paranoid and delusional Cozy Glow. And, Chancellor Neighsay wanted the School to shut down. I guess he didn't know about Friendship that much. Megan showed me a picture of her posing with those students, collectively known as the Student Six. I'm impressed that a pony, a yak, a changeling, a griffin, a dragon, and a hippogriff/seapony hybrid can get along. I hope Megan doesn't have nightmares about her encounter with Shadow Streak.

Danny, Molly, and I may have different views of Equestria. But, we think the various places and creatures are amazing. Especially when the Mane Six protect the land from the forces of evil.

Even the legendary Pillars of Magic can learn from Twilight and her friends. This includes Twilight's hero, Starswirl the Bearded. No one ever knew that even a legendary wizard can learn a few things.

There's a lot of magic in the air in Equestria. But, there's one kind of magic that doesn't need a magic wand or incantation. It's the kind of magic we always appreciate.

The magic of friendship.