//------------------------------// // Yellow // Story: Letters // by Pathos14489 //------------------------------// "Hey Spike." I smile warmly, entering the Friendship Council room. "What are you up to on your day off?" I ask, despite the visually obvious answer. He turns the page on his comic, "Just a little catching up on my reading." He says nonchalantly. "What about you? Gonna hang out with the girls today?" He peaks over his book at me. "I was originally planning for that, but as it would turn out, they're all busy." I sigh. "Pinkie's busy babysitting for the Cakes, Rarity's up in Canterlot delivering orders and picking up supplies." I sit as gracefully as my frustration will allow on my throne, resting my head on a hoof. "Rainbow is in Cloudsdale with Scootaloo today, Applejack is super busy with farm work and Fluttershy is looking after Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle..." "So pretty much you're bored out of your skull?" He has the audacity to snort at my great tragedy. "Even Starlight Glimmer is busy today!" I yell with a huff. "And I've read every book in the library twice over now." "Yep. Bored out of your skull." He confirms to himself, going back to his comic. "Well if you've read all the books, uh..." He thinks for a moment, turning the page. "Why not read the mail?" I stare at him. "You're joking right?" I deadpan. Then I get to thinking. "Actually..." I at this point jump from the throne, over the Cutie Map and gallop out of the council room. Nearly out of earshot, I can barely hear Spike sigh as I bolt for the front door, desperate for anything to alleviate my boredom. I turn the final corner and slide down the hall, my hoof scraping against the crystal floor and my wings flapping to slow myself before I smack into the door like an idiot. I skid to a stop, my muzzle half an inch from the door, then I engulf it in my magic and slam the front door open. "Ow!" "Huh?" I vocalize my confusion at the door exclaiming pain. I look up at the door, an eyebrow raising. Then I look down the stairs and gasp in horror. "Derpy! Oh my sweet Celestia-I didn't mean to-I didn't know-!" I run through every excuse I can think of, but the problem is I can't bring myself to finish each of them before starting the next. My rant of apology is interrupted as Derpy chuckles at me. "It's okay Princess Twilight, don't worry about it." She then gets up and starts shifting through her mail bag. "I believe I have a few letters and a package addressed to you." She scrunches her eyes, one rolling around like a free bird, in concentration. "...Maybe. It could happen." She nearly sticks her face into the bag as her hoof reaches in deeper and deeper still. I valiantly resist the temptation to tap my hoof or frown as I awkwardly smile at her. I need the mail and I need it now! Finally, after several minutes of searching she comes back up looking confused. "I could've sworn..." She scratches her head with her hoof, her wings fluffing just slightly. "Oh well. Maybe next time, Princess!" She then proceeds to start off to the next house. "Wait!" I yell out in protest before my brain can tell my mouth to stop. "Check again! There has to be something!" She tilts her head, but does as I requested. After all, who exactly can refuse a princess? Fifteen minutes and two more double checks later, I finally allow her to continue on her way dejectedly. I huff and sit at the bottom on the stairs despairingly. "It's not fair..." I mutter under my breath before standing up and walking up the stairs. Then it catches my eye. I look up and to the left and notice the mailbox slightly open. No. No no no no no. You've gotta be kidding. There's no possible way she- She did. There in the mailbox, is a small brown package and three letters. I grunt and slam my head against the castle wall in agony as my magic lifts the mail from the box and closes it, levitating it around to my front. I sigh and start to read the mail, reentering my home and heading for the study so that after I read the mail, I can alphabetize it with the rest of my mail! It's like, double fun from one item! I guess. Lets see, yet another letter from Mayor Mare regarding the many zoning errors and the illegality of the castle cropping up and stealing property from the nearby citizens. I think I'll read that one later; save myself a little mid day event to look forward to. Next is a letter from Prince Blueblood. My lips curl in disgusted curiosity as I teleport the content of the letter out, without even harming the envelope, that way it's less messy of course. Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle, In regard to your elevated class from common librarian to a Princess of Equestria, I would like to cordially invite you to the gala that I, Prince Blueblood, will be hosting at my estate on the Northern Canterlot hillside. I feel that it has been an adequate amount of time for you to adjust to such a shocking--and with no doubt--wonderful change from a commoner to Equestrian Royalty, that you wouldn't have a heart attack at the notion of possibly, if you're quite lucky, being in the same room as I, Prince Blueblood. I look forward to seeing you at the party come tonight, Fabulously, Prince Blueblood of Canterlot, Most Handsome Stallion in Canterlot Equestria three years running, etc. etc. He had ran out of room on the paper, and mercifully decided to write it as such instead of sending another page to list his various--self claimed for the most part--titles. I sit at my desk thoughtfully, wondering how I could possibly make the situation any better. Then it hit me. "Oh Spiiike~" I call out as my magic opens my study and council room doors, "Would you want to send a little, teeny tiny letter to Rarity please?" My magic is already writing a letter both to Blueblood, informing him that I'm much too busy and will instead be sending one of the Councilmares of Friendship in my royal stead, and then a letter to Rarity explaining how I got her an invitation to Trender Hoof's party in the Northern Canterlot hills, with Blueblood's address written out at the bottom of the page. I see the comic fly across the Cutie Map as Spike runs into view. "Yes please!"I give him the letters and send him on his way. He questions the letter to Blueblood, but I merely wave it off as unimportant. With that bit of business taken care of, I teleport the letter back into it's envelope and float the gross missive into it's place under B of course. I then decide to mix things up and I call the package over. "A package from Princess Luna?" I echo my thoughts, "I wonder what she could've sent." I say as I gently shift the package near my ear, a smile forming as I listen with twitching excitement as the weighty shift gives me the tale tell signs of what I already thought it might be. Opening the brown cardboard, I squeal with glee at the sight. "A book!" Not just any book, but one I haven't read! That anypony hasn't read! It's a first edition of Luna's memoirs, specifically detailing when she was trapped on the moon and the inner monologue like debates she had with Nightmare Moon. I can't believe it's already finished! I glance at the other letter mischievously I crack open the first page, it can't hurt just to see what number the book is right? Then straight back to the mail! 1/250 I squee as I see the numerals, the first printed book of the extremely limited first edition? I've never received such an amazing gift in all of my life! I quickly jot down a note on a nearby scroll, starting a to-do list regarding this book. Number one on the list: Thank Luna for the book! I close the book, hugging it tightly to myself as I levitate the final letter over, eager to finish the mail before I start reading my new book. I teleport the content out without even reading the name or address on the envelope. Dear Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle, Hi, my name is Sunny Skies. I am a pegasus filly from Cloudsdale and today, at least when I sent this letter, it is my eleventh birthday! I was given the chance to choose my final gift, and I asked if I could send the Princess of Friendship a letter and my mom said yes. So... Here I am, sending the letter. I'm writing to you in the hopes that you can help me with a problem I'm having about friendship. My mom and dad keep asking me why I never have any friends over and I'm running out of excuses... I don't have any friends exactly. And that's fine with me honestly! I don't feel like I need any, I'm never lonely, I never feel like I'm missing out. I used to have friends before we moved here from Fillydelphia but I don't even miss them that much, they weren't very nice to begin with. Especially Thunder's older brother. But I'm starting to fall off topic, I'm sorry! Anyway, I was wondering if you could send my parents a letter saying that I didn't need to bring friends home? Please? Or something along those lines so that they won't keep asking me about it? Hopeful, ~Sunny Skies P.S. I'm sorry if this letter wasn't formal enough, I'm not very good with being formal and I don't know very many big words, but I wanted to write this without my mom or dad's help. I furrow my brow at the letter. How did this filly get my address? Was it already public? ...Or perhaps just writing 'The Big Crystal Castle of Friendship and Hugs in Ponyville' is enough to get a letter to me. I bring over the envelope and, less than surprisingly, the only address aside from the return address is 'Castle of Friendship'. I suppose being a Princess now means little to no privacy on the matter of where you live huh? I sit the letter down and think for a moment, not exactly sure where to go with this. I could ask Spike to send a letter to Princess Celestia about what I should I do, but I promised him the day off today and I already sorta broke that promise with the letters to Rarity and Blueblood, so I didn't exactly want to do that again. Besides, if I did that she might think I'm not ready to be a Princess of Equestria! Then she'd rip off my wings and banish me to a dungeon and banish the dungeon to the moon and then banish the key to my cell to the sun! Then I'd never leave and all my friends would forget about me and make Trixie the Element of Magic and then a Princess and I would die and be forgotten and all alone except for my dungeon master who's this creepy old stallion who likes to touch me a little too much when walking me to the bathroom! I don't want to be banished, I can handle this! I hold my hoof to my chest, breathing in, then breathing out. Calm down Twilight, you got this. I pick up my quill and hold it over a blank page in my magic. "Hey Spike, do you wanna go out to eat for dinner? You do? Me too, lets go!" I yell, dragging the confused drake with me, his comic falling on the floor, after setting the quill down and running away from the blank page. "Twilight it's only two thirty!" <~> I sigh happily, Spike asleep on my back. He literally ate himself to sleep, and I'm almost there myself. I trot up to the my castle home and smile at it. Home Sweet Home. I climb the steps, careful of my sleepy assistant, and quickly enter the castle. I teleport him into his bed and cover him up remotely, not feeling like climbing all those stairs right now, I then sleek into my study. Eager to read my new book. The letter. I stare at the empty page and dry ink covered quill, a little queasy at the thought. I sigh and walk to the table, the letter from Sunny still open on the desk next to the off white paper. I sit down and pick up the quill; dipping it in ink once again, I recount the letter and begin my reply. Dear Sunny Skies, I spent most of today hiding from this letter, because after reading it I didn't know how to respond. I still don't if I'm honest, but I'm going to try, rather than let you feel ignored. I understand what it's like to not want friends, Sunny. For the longest time, my life was spent that way. Thinking that friends are a waste of time, that I don't need them. And while I cannot guarantee that you'll become a Princess because of your friends like I did, I can promise you that friends are very important. Almost, if not equally as important as family. Maybe I can't convince you that you need friends, at least not from a mere letter, but I also cannot in good conscience tell your parents that you don't need them. Because you do, more than you think. All I can say is, tell your parents the truth. That right now, you aren't looking for friends. If that doesn't help the situation, I apologize. But it's the most I can advise without the advise actively countering my position as Princess of Friendship. Love, Twilight Sparkle. P.S. Your letter was far more formal than I could have possibly expected from an average eleven year old filly, but you don't have to worry too much about my title, I don't after all. With the letter finished, I close my eyes as I warp it to the mailbox. I sigh in relief, but also slight worry about the response I might get. But, like Princess Celestia says, I shouldn't worry so much about these things. I open my eyes and the book from Luna catches my eye. My eyes twinkle as I grab the book up in my magic, my magic flaring as all the candles in my study burst aflame. Only an hour or two or reading won't hurt.