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// Letter 6: Sunset Shimmer 
// Story: Letters to a Lost World 
// by EileenSaysHi 
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Dear Princess Twilight,

There really isn’t a whole lot that we haven’t talked about by now. And yet it feels like there’s so much I want to tell you that I can’t figure out how to even begin to put it into words.

Once upon a time, I lived in a place called Equestria. Once upon a time, I was a unicorn, scouted by the reigning monarch of the kingdom to become her personal pupil. I was her presumptive heir, learning fascinating and powerful magic and becoming convinced it was my destiny to rule over all of ponykind.

Today, I’m a high school graduate, living in a body my old self would never recognize, about to begin taking classes for a career in graphic arts.

I couldn’t be happier with how my life has ended up.

The road here was long, hard and chaotic. And I brought most of that chaos on myself. But I’ve reached the other end not merely happy, but genuinely thrilled with the person I’ve become.

When I look in the mirror, I don’t see a vicious scheming bully. I don’t see a broken, miserable wreck. I don’t see an unconfident bundle of nerves who can’t help but feel like a failure at every turn, questioning whether she even belonged in this world. All of those things were me, at one point or another. But they’re not me now.

When I look in the mirror, I see someone whole and fulfilled. I see the culmination of everything this long journey has taken me on. I see myself, for perhaps the first time in my life.

A lot of my friends are feeling nervous about the months ahead, and it’s completely understandable. And I’m not gonna pretend I’m fully ready for all the changes about to happen. But I’m confident I can face them as me. Not a tough persona. Not a brave face. Me.

And I can never thank you enough for putting me on the journey to this point. For helping unlock my true self.

Even if that journey may now have cut me off forever from the place I once called home, from so much that was once special to me, I don’t regret taking it. Because this world is my home now. It may have been once that I couldn’t imagine a future where I didn’t rule Equestria, but now I can’t imagine a future where I even live there.

That’s not to say, obviously, that I wouldn’t be disappointed if I could never come back to the other side. There’s too many loose threads of my old life that I’ve still never bothered to clean up. I hope dearly that I can spend one more day with Princess Celestia, just sitting down with her and explaining everything that’s happened to me, who I am. To tell her how much I’ve missed her. To see that smile of hers, and that warm feeling of pride in me that I caught all too brief a glimpse of the last time I saw her; a feeling that helped keep me afloat in one of my darkest hours.

There’s more I’d do, too. I’ve always been curious about properly meeting some of your friends. And I’d like to see Starlight again. And maybe share a lunch together with some of my old magic school classmates. And maybe visit some places I’ve never been. Like Rainbow Falls, or Las Pegasus, or even the Crystal Empire.

Maybe find my birth parents, if I can. I doubt they really want to see me, but they should know where I’ve been.

But also, perhaps most importantly of all… I want some hayfries.

Oh Celestia, how I miss hayfries.

We’ve got potato fries here. A few other kinds too, but mostly potato. They’re fine. But they’re not the same. Not the same kind of crispness or texture, not the same flavor… at all. No. I need you to open that portal, Princess. Please, I’m begging you. Please let me have more hayfries I swear I’m going to die if you don’t get me some hayfries I need to go over there and I’m going to bring all my friends and we’re going to try them together because I need to prove to them that I’m not crazy and it’s not nostalgia they just really are THAT GOOD! And you CAN’T make them here because HUMANS CAN’T EAT HAY BELIEVE ME I’VE TRIED IT WAS AWFUL AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Sorry about that.

The point is, even though my future is in this world, that assurance that I would always have access to Equestria is something I’d been taking for granted. I’m still a believer that we’ll get things reopened once more, and I’m ready and eager to help from this side of the portal if the solution demands it. Once it’s back, though, I’m taking full advantage of it.

Because even though I’ve found a new home, I never properly said my goodbyes to my old one.

And now, I’ll be able to do it as myself.

I won’t bore you with the expressions of gratitude I’ve given you more times than I can count, and that I know you’re mostly sick of. I will simply say thank you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, for being my friend. For being a friend to all of us, and for bringing the spirit of Equestria to this world. And for giving me the chance to live my life to its fullest potential.

I won’t let you down.

Your friend,
Sunset Shimmer