To: Sweetie Belle
From: Applebloom
Dear Sweetie Belle,
The farm has been a buzzin' with activity since I got back. The family has all trickled in from all over Equestria. The farm is almost to the point of overflowin' again, just like the Summer Solstice when Nightmare Moon attacked!
Spike has been poppin' down here a lot more as well. Seems Twilight has started yet another project and he is not really needed right now. He is quite handy to have around, and he has been a lifesaver in keepin' the clubhouse in good condition. The wood is startin' to rot. I think there might be an infestation of termites somewhere in it. We are huntin' them down now. Can' have the place collapsing before we have our big get-together again, can we.
Can' wait ta see ya during the weddin'. Inventions should be sent out soon. I know ya will be able to come, but ya need ta RSVT still. I think that is what Applejack said it was ya do?
-Applebloom
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To: Sweetie Belle, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna
From: Big Mac & Cheerilee
Dear Friends,
You are invited to attend the wedding of Macintosh Apple and Cheerilee Punch. It will take place one week after the Summer Solstice Festival at Sweet Apple Acres. We ask that you please RSVP as soon as possible so we will know how many will be attending. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Macintosh Apple and Cheerilee Punch
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To: Sweetie Belle
From: Pinkie Pie
Hiya Sweetie!
It's me! Pinkie! Though I guess you already know that because of the return address on the letter. Aren’t you so excited for Big Mac's wedding! I know I am!
Listen, I had the bestest most super duper great idea, like, twenty minutes ago! You should come down here and sing for Big Mac and Miss Cheerilee for their wedding! That would be the like the coolest thing ever! I have already gone down and told Rarity and Twilight and Futtershy about it and they think it is a fantastic idea! I think Twilight is writing a letter to the Princess to try and give you a break from your classes so you can come down, though I guess you are already did that because you have already accepted the invitation and told everyone you were coming.
Oh! And if you have not heard yet, Twilight and Applejack have not had a fight since we had to fight those meanie Diamond Dogs! Isn't that great! Now we can all be the bestest of friends again without all that meanie drama fighting stuff. I mean, drama is fun! Going onto a stage and pretending to be another pony is one of the funnest things EVER!!!. Especially if you get to be a pirate! It is like Nightmare night, only it is every night! And you don't have to be scared! Unless you are supposed to be a scary person. Like Rainbow Dash was a scary person during the Hearts Warming Eve play... or was she just mean... I don't remember.
Oh! And ask Octavia to come down here too! I know she didn't get an invitation because Big Mac and Cheerilee don't know her, but if you're going to sing, then she has to play her cello too! And then I can get a trombone or something and play with you! Or the harmonica! OH! I KNOW! I will play the tuba!
And you won’t believe what I found in Applejacks house! It’s a letter that Applebloom wrote to her when she was staying in Canterlot! And it gave me the greatest of fantastic ideas I can do at the party! I can’t tell you though, it is a surprise! And if you tell somepony what the surprise is, it won’t be surprising anymore!
-Pinkie Pie
P.S. Gummy says hi and he misses you!
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To: Octavia
From: Sweetie Belle
Dear Octavia,
My friend's brother is getting married and I have been asked to sing for the wedding. It was also requested for you to come down and play as the accompaniment for me as I perform for the bride and groom. I would be honored if you could join me, but I will understand if you could not.
Even if you cannot join me, I would like your help in choosing the perfect song to sing for the wedding. I have learned a good number of opera pieces, but I do not think it will fit well with the crowd that will be attending this wedding.
You see, this is the wedding of Macintosh Apple, the brother of Applejack, the bearer of the Element of Honesty. They do not have a high status in society, and live farming or colonizing different wild parts of Equestria. I have a few ideas of the songs they would enjoy, but none seem to be a very good choice for the wedding.
I will see you on Monday.
Sincerely,
Sweetie Belle
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To: Sweetie Belle
From: Octavia
Dear Sweetie Belle,
I would be honored to play with you on the wedding. Even if it was not for the brother of an Element of Harmony, doing a duet with you would be very enjoyable. But we will have to get to work very soon since we do not have a lot of time to practice together. Doing a duet is very different from singing a solo song, or with an orchestra. We will have to practice very weekend until it is perfect, then keep practicing so we do not lose that perfection until the performance. I have a few ideas of a good song, myself. I grew up in the country, if you remember. I shall bring them with me when we meet on Monday.
And, since you are still in school, I shall count this as an extracurricular activity. You will get some bonus points to some of your grades, but you cannot let this interfere with your education. Treat this as if you would treat your career. You will have a full time show, on stage. And you will also be hired on the side to do smaller performances. You must learn to juggle both of these to survive in the competitive world of music.
I look forward to seeing how well you do.
-Octavia
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To: Applebloom
From: Sweetie Belle
Dear Applebloom,
I cannot believe how things are going up here! Ever since your visit things have done nothing but improve. I'm practicing with Octavia to do a duet for the wedding, my classes have done nothing but improve, and I've started getting more offers for future careers once I graduate. Fancy Pants says that if I wanted I could become a model for him if I ever wanted a break from music, or if I wanted to earn some side bits at any time.
I have even started getting some letters from Prince Blueblood! He has invited me to watch some races with him next Tuesday. I will have to write Princess Luna and Princess Celestia a letter to say I will be unable to join them in our normal lunches, but this is a date with Blueblood!
I am so excited I am sqeeing! The neighbors have shushed me a couple times now, but I just can't sit still.
How are the wedding plans going? Has anything interesting happened in Ponyville recently? I have heard nothing recently, which is odd because when we were all adventuring it seemed that something chaotic happened every week.
Sincerely,
Sweetie Belle
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To: Sweetie Belle
From: Applebloom
Sweetie,
Tha' Blueblood fella is nothin' but bad luck. He tries to get with mares like a timberwolf goes after trapped ponies. If I was you I'd just say no and go on my way. Heck, he tried to take me to bed when I was in Canterlot, remember? If ya insist on goin' ta that date with him, then go right ahead. But don' let yur guard around him for a sec or he will pounce ya.
As fur the weddin', Winter Wrapup has gone off without a hitch again this year 'cause of Twilight. The stage built for the alter has been built an' Spike is currently paintin' it. I'm takin' a break from workin' the orchard preparin' fur next year’s crop.
An' Ponyville has been strangely quiet, now that ya mention it. Ever since the fire we haven't had anythin' interesting happen. Not that I'm complainin'. We need all the quiet we can get if we are gonna get all these crops ready for them to grow.
Spike and I also found that termite nest, an' we called out Fluttershy to relocate them. The treehouse is sentimental, but those little buggers would eat up the entire orchard without second thought. Glad we caught them in time or the Apples would have a heck of a mess to clean up.
Can't wait for ya to come down for the weddin' again. It was nice to be able ta see ya when I was up there, an' be able to chat with ya quickly. These letters are nice, but they just take too long to deliver. Even with Spikes fire to occasionally make it faster, it is still not the same as seein' yur face.
-Applebloom
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To: Sweetie Belle
From: Octavia
Dear Sweetie,
This letter is not a teacher or mentor to their student, but a letter from someone who calls themselves your friend.
I heard of your date with the Prince, and warn you to take extra care when being around him. In case he tries to do something to you on your date, I have given you this bag of pepper and this potion. The pepper can be thrown into the eyes of an attacker and will stun them so you can get away. The potion will instantly alert you if you ingest any unknown substances and can delay their effects for up to thirty minutes. You should be able to find a safe place to stay in that time.
I urge you to take the potion right before the date, and keep the pepper on had throughout it. The Prince is known to try different tricks, especially for newer mares who are becoming known in the city.
I wish you luck,
-Octavia
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To: Octavia
From: Sweetie Belle
Dear OctaviaI cannot believe you to give me these items before the date! Blueblood has been nothing but charming to me my entire stay here in Canterlot, and I don't see him changing due to this date. You have made me so angry... and I don't even have time to think straight right now. I'm leaving for my date now, and you will hear more when I get back.
I have to seriously apologize for my previous remarks. I did take the potion and pepper with me on the date. Not because of your warning, but because of what happened to my friend when she was here visiting.
Needless to say, the Prince tried to drug me when he took me out to dinner after the race. That potion instantly alerted me that somepony slipped a sleeping drug into my drink. I excused myself to the bathroom and tried to make my escape then, but apparently some mares have tried this before because he followed me out of the restaurant. I was half way back to the school when he attacked me from an alley, and luckily I had the powder at the ready, as you advised. I didn't see if he was immobilized like you said, but I heard him coughing uncontrollably.
I am currently staying in the palace because I ran into a guard right before the potion wore off. I told him of my plight and he took me to safety. I should be back at school tomorrow, but for now I will be staying under Luna's watchful gaze until we find Prince Blueblood and bring him to justice.
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To: Princess Celestia
From: Prince Blueblood
My dear Aunt,
I am extremely hurt that you would accuse me of such a barbaric act. During this investigation, you will discover that I was waiting at the restaurant the entire time. I only left my table to use the restroom once as I waited for Ms. Belle to return. In fact, you can ask the owner of the establishment because I walked out with him while he locked up the building.
I can only assume she was attacked by some random burglar while she abandoned me on our date. Very uncouth, if you ask me, but I have been raised better. I should not have expected anything less from a common born mare like her.
As for the "drug" I was supposed to give her, you must check the wine glass she drank from. I do not know if you will be able to find it with all the other glasses in the establishment, but that is the only way I can think of you to learn that I did not do anything of the sort.
If that is all, I will go back to my suite and get ready for tomorrows engagement. This guard station is too drab for my tastes.
Your always loyal and gentlemanly cousin,
Crown Prince Blueblood
Fourteenth Adviser to the Throne
Sixth Heir to the Throne
Twelfth Chair Council of Magic
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To: Sweetie Belle
From: Princess Luna
Dearest Subject Sweetie Belle,
We regret to inform thee that upon investigation, no evidence has appeared to condemn the Prince Blueblood of his trespasses against thee. All that condemns him is your voice, and the Courts of Equestria cannot use it as evidence to imprison him.
But thy should not worry. Both us and our sister has spoken private words with the mongrel. He shall not bother thee again, under penalty of manual labor.
Your friend,
Princess Luna
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To: Sweetie Belle
From: Octavia
Dear Sweetie Belle,
I understand your anger to me in the first part of your letter. I used to have the same feelings for him when I first moved here to Canterlot, and do my best to protect all of my pupils as well as the pupils of my colleagues. The Prince is a stain on this city, but is sadly too intelligent to be caught doing anything against those unsuspecting mares. If it was not for that guard, I am worried for what could have happened to you. He is known to hire others to capture mares if they try and escape, and hold them until the potion wears off. I learned of this only after you left for your date and missed catching you at the races.
I have an exercise which might help get your mind off this situation. We both have been struggling in finding the right song to sing, so I thought of a new solution. How about you write exactly what you feel should be stated for the wedding. We will use those to write the song yourself. Something from your heart will always hold and carry your passion in the performance. That is why we always study the old masters. They have learned how to speak from their soul through their instruments, and we are learning how to read their emotions.
The secret of music is not the sound of the instrument, or the joy of playing. The secret is learning how to surpass yourself and reach into an enlightened plane of existence as you play. This is the way of the master. I challenge you to take that first step and write a song which will express the unique voice of your soul.
I will see you tomorrow, and look forward to see what you come up with this week.
-Octavia
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To: Applebloom
From: Sweetie Belle
Dear Applebloom,
You were completely right about that scumbag Prince. I will not be associating with him anymore.
In good news, Octavia and I are working on a surprise song. I cannot wait to perform it for you all in a couple months!
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To: Sweetie Belle
From: Big Mac & Mrs. Cheerilee
Dear Sweetie Belle
We cannot begin to express how grateful we are that you and your friends worked so hard to surprise us. The song you sang was beautiful, and to think that you wrote it yourself. You have come a very long way from the little filly getting into trouble trying to figure out her cutie mark. You make both of us so proud.
Eeyup.
Make sure to look us up the next time you visit! I would love to sit down and talk to you about what you again about your adventures in Canterlot.
Eeyup.
Sincerely,
Big Mac and Cheerilee Apple.