A Cultural Exchange

by Illiad_Easle

An Exchange of Letters

Illiad Easle had lived in Deltrot for nearly three years and for the first time in his life he felt like he actually belonged in his community. He was sitting out on a sand dune a few hundred strides from the noise and light of town, giving him a great view of the stars above. As he began his trek back to town he came across a paper half buried in the sand. He retrieved it and began to read, a smile coming to his face. A cultural exchange? What a wonderful idea! He stowed the paper in the folds of his sand cloak and hurried back to town, eager to participate.

June 19th,

A few days later he received the response that he had been accepted and been paired with an Earth pony named Dax Blackwater, who's permanent address is near the base of the crystal mountains, but current residence was a bit unclear, similar to his age which simply said 'Adolescent'. Illiad found the name of Dax to be odd, but then again, so was his. The response said to write a letter of introduction, so he pondered what exactly to say before he began to write.

Good Evening Mr. Dax Blackwater,

My name is Illiad Easle and I was selected to be your pairing in the cultural exchange. To tell you a bit about myself, I am an adult unicorn living in Deltrot, Troy. I have a khaki coat and a shortish brown mane and tail. My mark is a triple cross of a ruler, quill, and paintbrush, symbolizing my talents in plotting, writing, and painting respectively. I mostly work as a designer of security measures such as watermarks and official seals. That sort of work doesn't come too often but frequent enough to pay my bills. Occasionally I will be commissioned for a piece of abstract art or to design an inlay for furniture. I also thoroughly enjoy writing short stories from time to time despite not being too good at it. I suppose I've talked enough about myself, how about you? I look forward to showing you around my hometown and I can't wait to hear back from you.

-Illiad Easle

With writing the letter taken care of he took it to the local post office where his good friend Swift Message assured him it would go out on the next mail run to Equestria. He then went back to his life, eagerly awaiting a response.

June 21st

The response letter arrived about two days later, in a fancy envelope with [THE BLACKWATER QUARRY] stamped in silver foil on the back of it.

Dear Illiad Easel,

Hiya! I was wondering when my response would arrive, and it was quite quick! I'm pleased that we have been paired together, and I certainly hope that this works out to be both educational and fun for each of us! I enjoyed reading about you, and I hope I can come up with enough nifty things to pique your own interest!

I'm an Earth Pony living at the foot of the Crystal Mountains. My family has been living here for a very long time, and we have a manor that is built right into the side of the mountain! My Father owns the Blackwater Quarry, where the miners dig for gems; specifically, they gather emeralds, but there has been a deposit of other valuable stones from time to time.

About me: I have a black coat with green stripey-patches; my Mother says we have a little bit of zebra in our family tree, but I'm not sure if that's pure baloney or not. Anyway, my cutie mark is a chunk of granite with an emerald sticking out of it - I got it when I helped find the biggest deposit of emerald ore I had ever seen, and I have a bit of a knack for finding emeralds; it's sort of like a "sixth sense" to me! I'm currently trying to study for college, but as it is I haven't actually had a job yet... not that I don't want one, mind you - but my Father seems intent on passing the family business to me. I don't know if I want to go that route, but I'm still deciding what to do with my life, so time will tell, right?

It will be interesting to see how well the ponies here will take to you - but I can hardly wait to see what you think of the place! My Father agreed to this ONLY because I've been doing well in my schoolwork (I'm almost 18 years old now!), and he DOES NOT usually agree to such things readily. I hope this works out - he is quite "iffy" on letting me go anywhere, but he does understand that this is an exchange, after all.

Well, I suppose this is a decent job of an opening letter, so this is where I will end it... but I do have a question, if I may? Would you tell me more about where you live? I haven't been far from the Quarry, so I'm still trying to find out more about the world.

Sincerely - Dax B.

P.S.: If my calculations are correct, you should be able to see the Horsehead Nebula from where you are - just look to the western sky; it should be the large-ish clump of stars near the horizon. OH! I love constellations, too!

Illiad was surprised at the quality of the envelope, it certainly wasn't Equestrian standard. Then again, he didn't know much about the Crystal Mountains, and he certainly hadn't heard of Blackwater Quarry. That's what a life in Canterlot gets you I suppose. Upon reading the letter he was again surprised by the thought that was put into the letter, he could feel the enthusiasm Dax had. A smile came to his face as he thought about how to respond, Dax had certainly surpassed his expectations.

Evening Dax Blackwater,

You've certainly led an interesting life so far, it only seems fair that I tell you about my past too.

I am originally from Canterlot, Equestria. (I don't know where Blackwater Quarry is situated on a map so I don't know if you're inside Equestrian borders or not.) When I was about your age I worked in the Canterlot archives shelving books, and while I loved doing it I could tell it wasn't my destiny, despite it giving me the opportunity to pursue my passions. Shortly after my 18th birthday there was a bit of persecution around me. You see I too have a sixth sense, I can tell how others are feeling just by being near them and I can occasionally influence their emotions with my own. Mind you I don't do that, often, but when I do it is only to help others (I'm fairly certain I prevented a suicide once, that was a good day). However, there was some negative propaganda against ponies like me (collectively Empathics if you've heard of that term), and I eventually had to leave Canterlot to keep from being injured. I eventually left Equestria altogether and emigrated to the Trojan Empire.

On some maps it sits on the San Palomino desert, but others label the area as the Mild West. The Trojan Empire is a collection of now six cities that declared independence from Equestria way back when Princess Luna was banished (I happened to move here the night she returned, there was a big party). The Trojan Empire, sometimes referred to as simply Troy, is mostly a trade nation. We have a large population of artisans and craftspeople whose goods get sold to caravans traveling all across the world, even to Equestria despite the trade embargo (Celestia's still mad we left). The embargo has actually been really good for us as we get to sell our goods to them at a huge markup on their black market. I do hope she decides to remove the embargo someday, I hate to think that so many have never even heard of Troy or its wonderful culture.

Anyway, your home sounds interesting too, would you mind telling me a bit more about it? How long has your family been there?

-I. Easle

PS, I was never too big on constellations, I simply like to bask in the utter glory of Luna's night whenever I can get a break from my work, I don't often bring my telescope out on the dunes as the sand is a real pain to clean out but I'll keep that in mind, It certainly sounds interesting.

June 23rd

About two days later, another fancy envelope arrives, addressed to Mr. I. Easel.

Dear Illiad,

Wow. I am rather impressed by what you've told me of Troy - I asked my tutor about it, but he didn't seem to want to elaborate, much to my dismay. So, I guess what you tell me will have to do, right? It's fine - I am fairly certain getting a pony's first-hand view is better than a possibly watered-down version in a generic guidebook!

Empathics? I can't say I've ever heard the term before, but then again I don't get out much, so that makes sense on my end. It sounds like you have a lot of potential to do good in the world; how often would you think finding certain rocks would help anypony? Still, I'm pleased that you seem happy to help others with their problems. I wish th-

(The letter is smudged here, as if erased. It picks up again one line down.)

I'm sorry that things aren't exactly on good terms between Troy and Equestria; who knows? Maybe our exchange here will be a catalyst (is that the right word?) that might end up being a part of a solution for it! As far as any kind of Black Market goes, I know I've heard Father speaking about such things... and he is not a fan, to put it mildly. But still, I didn't mention anything about it to him - a good thing, as he isn't a very 'happy' type of pony.

Okay, so - the Blackwater Manor has been here since Earth Ponies started mining emeralds! My great(x12) grandfather, Serious Black, started mining here shortly after Discord's reign over Equestria was over, and as the silt rose in the nearby river due to all the activity, it turned the water black - and years later, the name "Blackwater" was taken on for my family line. The Blackwaters have been mining here ever since, and the Quarry is one of the biggest in Equestria; chances are, if you have an emerald, it came from our mines!

The manor started as a simple block house, but as the years went by and profits rose, it was added to and added to, over and over again, until it became the modern wonder it is today. It sits above the Quarry itself, and half of it is actually INSIDE the mountain; a cleared-out mine was once there, and it was hollowed and chiseled so that it could be an addition to the already impressive manor house it was becoming. I sort of feel like I'm bragging, but I'm really trying not to - that wouldn't be very nice to present to my new friend, would it?

They have a number of workers, and my Father is The Boss; what he says is LAW around here. He had to wrestle the company from my grandfather, who wasn't exactly keeping things running well, from what I've gathered. I can't find out much more about that, as there aren't any records I can get to, and Father NEVER speaks of it to anyone - even ME.

This is SO exciting! I don't have (the word 'any' is barely visible here, erased and written over) a lot of friends, so I'm quite pleased to have somepony to talk to, even if it's only the words on paper doing the talking! Hope you write back soon - I've been checking the mailbox every day since this started!

Your Friend, Dax B.

P.S.: I wish I could see the sky from the same vantage point Luna could while she was on the moon; I just hope I'd have a way back home afterwards! What kind of telescope do you use?

Illiad was once again impressed by the quality of Dax’s writing, clearly his tutor(s) were teaching him well.

Evening Dax,

I suppose if you were to look up Troy in a history book you'd see that it was destroyed during Nightmare Moon's time. It wasn't mind you, but that is what Celestia said happened and similarly why most don't know it still exists. (You wouldn't believe the stories I've heard of adventurers looking for the ruins of Troy only to find a thriving city). I will be happy to answer any of your questions regarding Troy.

Well, being Empathic isn't always a good thing. The negative propaganda had some truth to it in that there are a few evil Empathics out there. And furthermore.... If you asked your tutor about Empathics they might give you factual information or they'll spew propaganda like how we turn ponies insane or do mind control or are secretly changelings draining everyone of their emotions. I do get to do some good in the world, but I am forever worried that I'll accidentally ruin something, so I always use these abilities sparingly. On that note, what are your thoughts on changelings? I was there visiting during the attack and to be honest they still tend to scare me. I'd be lying if I didn't suspect some of my friends of being changelings when I got back, but it was all sorted out and we're still friends.

I don't think this exchange will be what convinces Celestia to admit she changed history books to her own favor, the full reveal of Troy will not be good for your monarchy. However, I suppose this could be a good start, who knows? As to the black market, Troy only sells, we don't buy anything from Equestria directly, thus Equestrian goods have to go through another nation before a Trojan will touch it. We don't what Equestria to benefit from the embargo after all, then it would never be lifted. Your father is likely mad that the Trojan diamonds sell for such high prices through the black market, and that they are in such high demand. I wouldn't know for sure as I am no economist nor trader so that's just a guess from me.

I suppose I should tell you a bit about the history of Troy, I have a whole book you can borrow when you visit that goes into more detail, but here is the short version. Troy was founded by an Earth Pony named Trojan Horse, he's the same one that surveyed the Canterlot mines and recommended that a city be built there. Troy started out as a place for caravans to meet and exchange goods so the individual caravans did not have to go all the way to central Equestria. The city eventually grew surrounding a nearby oasis, it attracted artisans who wanted to sell their works directly to the caravans and thus they could sell to most of the countries in the world. As time went on the city expanded as more moved there permanently, creatures of many different species gathered which is why Troy is the most diverse nation in all of Equis. Eventually other cities were built around other oases throughout the area to house the ever increasing numbers of immigrants. A few years before Nightmare Moon there was a large influx of zebra immigrants who had recently been freed from slavery (There's something no Equestrian will admit, and this relates to why old earth pony families often have a fear of zebras). The Trojan Province was different from the rest of Equestria because it had a governing council instead of a government appointed governor, this was Princess Luna's idea and the reason why all of Troy is so enamored by her. Anyway, there were a bunch of conflicts between the democratically elected council and what Celestia wanted, so after Nightmare Moon Troy decided to leave Equestria and has been independent ever since.

Don't worry about bragging, I'm glad your family is something you can take pride in. The question is really, would you still be happy without it all? If so it is not really bragging I guess.

I won't be too quick to pass judgment on your father as I haven't met him, but you’re certainly painting an interesting picture of him, I really don't know what to expect when I meet him.

I too am excited, this is likely one of the best chains of letters I have ever experienced. I don't have too many friends either, but I suppose it is more that I prefer to have a few, close friends, than to have a whole bunch that are only a little bit better than acquaintances.

(Instead of a signature the bottom of the page is stamped with an image of Illiad's mark)

PS, The problem with the moon is that the sky is forever dominated by Equis, you'd have to walk a full quarter of the surface away to have the planet not be in the way, but I guess you're right. It would be nice to see the stars without any atmosphere or light pollution. As to my telescope, I only have a basic one as it is easier to clean out. If I were to need a better one I head out to the Alphyns Academy observatory outpost and use their large telescope, it's really cool on a clear night.

PPS, I forgot to mention this earlier, has your quarry ever found any cloud diamonds? The ones that are magically malleable? I have started to accumulate a mass of them and have been on the lookout for more.

June 26th

This time, the letter arrives three days later. Same envelope, same addressee.

My dear friend Illiad,

It really sounds as if Troy is a beautiful, diverse place to live! I admit, I'm a bit jealous - there aren't many townships near the Crystal Mountains, except for Canterlot, of course. I have been near Ponyville a time or two, but I've never been inside the town proper - call it "chronic shyness", if you like. The Quarry is sort-of a little village, I suppose, but only during work hours; at night, it stands as quiet as a mute mouse. It will be so much fun to see something other than rocks and trees, and I feel the excitement in my hooves to feel actual sand! That might sound kind of strange, but it's the truth!

It makes me quite ashamed to hear of how Celestia has treated Troy - I would think that ALL ponies should live in harmony, not just the ones who follow her rule. I wonder, what could be going on in her mind about this? And it makes me wonder what Luna is thinking, as well... has anypony told her that things have gotten this way? Maybe with all that has been happening, she was sidetracked? Regardless, I hope it won't put any kind of damper on our friendship; I have nothing but respect for you and what you've told me of Troy. I do wonder, though - if the Trojans knew I was from Equestria, would they hate me?

I have heard of Changelings, but the only ones I've heard of are the ones that attacked Canterlot - surely that cannot be what all of them are like, can it? I would really rather find out for myself - though, admittedly, I am not exactly a pillar of courage; maybe if I found one who would talk to me, I might be able to expand my knowledge of them. Maybe they aren't all bad, right?

I actually don't spend much of my time at the manor very often; to get away from the hustle and bustle of the quarry, I have a tent near the edge of the Everfree Forest that affords a beautiful view at night. Don't worry, though - I plan to have us both staying at the manor while you're here; company should be treated with the best one has to offer, right?

My Father is a very serious stallion. He keeps everything in line at the quarry; he still mines when the need calls for it - he's not the kind who stays behind a desk all day. He doesn't care for parties, or jokes, or any kind of "frivolous activity", as he calls it - he's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, to be honest. But he does make sure we get whatever we need, and much of what we want. He's not really a bad pony - he just has very little patience for needless things... or at least what HE sees as needless, anyway.

Friends have been difficult for me to make - what with the quarry not being exactly visitor-friendly, and my Father being himself, and other such problems. But I am quite pleased to be making friends with you - I can hardly wait until I can show you all the interesting things to see here!

Ever your friend, Dax B.

P.S. - When I visit, I beg you to take me to see the giant telescope! That would be a wonderful way for me to show you how much I've learned about the sky and her jewels! And no, no Cloud Diamonds... but we do come across the occasional bed of Fire Opals!

There is a bit of dry black silt in the bottom of the envelope.

Iliad was excited to read the new letter, and in the process the silt contained within fell to the floor. He simply stared at it with a sad sigh. "That is worse than confetti right there. At least it isn't in my coat."
As he read the letter a smile came to his face, growing bit by bit throughout.

Evening Dax,

Similarly, your description of your home sounds lovely, I haven't had much opportunity to be in the wilderness. It just came to me that you guys aren't nocturnal like we are, due to it being a desert here it gets quite hot during the day and cold at night, so we sleep through as much of the day as possible. Well, my flexible work hours will certainly allow me to get more used to being awake under the oppressive heat of the day star. Oh and believe me, you're going to get tired of sand fast.

I too find it sad that She has done this, and I often wonder why she would think it the best course of action. Remember that the vast majority of Equestrians are the three main pony races, with only a few griffons, deer, zebras, and others. It could be that she fears she wouldn't be needed if there wasn't some scary foreigners to protect her ponies from. If you think about it not too much has changed in Equestria in the last few centuries. I have actually met with Luna since her return, it relates to how I have so much cloud diamond, she is overjoyed that Troy has remained free in her absence and its very existence is proof that we don't need the princesses to tell us how to run a government (Troy's government was Luna's idea after all). I suppose that is why Celestia does not want Troy to succeed. I've also heard the Celestia has been slow to return power to Luna since her return, either by habit or fear of a repeat I don't know. Oh, don't worry about being an Equestrian, the locals know that Celestia holds all of the responsibility and thus no ill will is born towards Equestrians (Except unicorns, they have a bad history with them and only allowed us Empathics in because we suffered similar persecution).

You would not believe how happy I am to see that you have such an open mind. I know a few changelings around here and no, they are nothing like the ones that attacked Canterlot. Changelings in general prefer peaceful coexistence and create unique identities in the community to consume the excess emotional energy (I am told that as an Empathic Introvert I am a particularly good source of energy), I also heard that the hive that attacked Canterlot had been starving for a few weeks before they struck. If you're interested I could have you meet some of the changelings I know from the local hive.

I similarly like to get away from the city at times, there's a nice dune not too far away where I sit on occasion, usually to watch the moon set. My house is not nearly as impressive as yours, space is a premium here as much of the land around the oasis is devoted to community agriculture. You'll see a bunch of thin, tall buildings here. My house is fairly small but it is big enough for me to work in and it is well ventilated to keep it a nice cool temperature throughout the day.

I suppose my own father was similar to yours in a few ways. He’s an architect in Canterlot. And he isn't afraid to work with the contractor crews to get a building done right. He worked long hours to keep my family happy, though he enjoyed frivolous things too. He was very fond of little models and would often build little replicas of his projects. But I'll be sure to give your father the utmost respect he deserves when I meet him. While I am a bit frivolous I can be serious too (Luna wants me to be a member of the grand council or even Consul, if only so there is someone she knows in charge).

I can't say I've had much better luck making friends, I'm a bit awkward as I don't get out and interact with others outside of my work or town meetings. But I'm glad you consider me your friend, you seem like a cool colt too.

(Again the letter is stamped with Illiad's mark)

PS, I'll be sure to arrange it. I've heard that the observatory here is second only to Luna's personal observatory in Canterlot.

After delivering the letter to his mail-carrier Illiad retrieved a second sheet of paper, "If she's available this would certainly be quite the surprise for him."

July 2nd

Almost an entire week passes before he received another letter, once more in a fancy envelope.

My Good Friend Illiad,

I apologize for my response being so late - my little brother got me in trouble again, so I was restricted from responding for a few days. It is infuriating, but sometimes I wonder if my Father even realizes that I am no longer a foal. I suppose now would be the time to warn you about Oglevy - my younger brother. I have two of them, though my older brother has left home to pursue his own path - much to my Father's chagrin. Perhaps that is the reason why he tends to be so firm with me - but it still stinks.

Oglevy is only about 8 years old, and already he has become one of the most irritating ponies I have ever known. He tends to get away with a lot of mischief, mostly due to Mother's protection. He is a Pegasus on top of this, so when he does irritate me, he simply flies away, sticking his tongue out and laughing at me. Oh, I'm not certain that I made mention of that: my Mother is a Pegasus, and my Father is an Earth Pony. My older brother Harcourt and I were born Earth Ponies - but Oglevy seems to have gotten the wings my Mother had hoped we would have, so he is Mother's favorite, of course. He makes me so mad!

Anyway, enough about him - on to more entertaining things!

I can only imagine how hot it is where you live, but I hope I will be able to stand the heat long enough to get a good look at the village you speak so highly of! Of course, there is always the possibility of seeing it at night - but I will admit, I may find myself too fascinated with the constellations there to be attentive enough! The stars, you could say they almost hypnotize me; I might be somewhat useless for a few nights, or at least until I familiarize myself with the Trojan night sky!

I am glad to hear that I will not be shunned for being an Equestrian - and I am excited (and admittedly a bit scared) that you have offered for me to meet some of your local Changelings! It simply felt wrong that they all might behave as the ones who besieged Canterlot did; hopefully, my courage (what little there is) will hold, and I will possibly be able to find out much more about them! Thank you for your very generous offer!

Speaking of generosity, my Father (after much persuasion) has officially cleared for me to be able to give you three gifts, which have been cleared for you to take home with you! I will spill the oats on one of them: I found you a Cloud Diamond! Granted, it is a bit small - but it is a genuine Cloud Diamond for certain! The other two will have to be a surprise for now, but I will also say that one of these gifts is actually for your village - it's a goodwill present from one of the workers here, which I have been telling about your letters! She is a very gifted engineer, and a unicorn to boot - chances are, there will possibly be some magic involved!

You say that Luna wants you as a Consul? WOW. That must make you quite an important stallion; although, after our communications, it does not surprise me - you would be a very wise choice, as you are quite intelligent! Would it be rude of me to ask what Princess Luna is like? I have never had a chance to meet royalty, and I have admittedly…

(this part seems to have been erased and re-written a number of times, as if there was an indecisive moment or two about what would be written - but among the erased scratchings, Illiad can make out multiple erasings of the word 'crush')

…had a great personal admiration for her, and I would like to know how she is, face to face. If that isn't too much to ask, of course - I do not know if that sort of information would be considered confidential or not.

I can hardly wait to meet you - the exchange program stated that, as long as you approve, you might be able to come here as early as next week! This is SO exciting! I look forward to meeting you at the train station, and I hope you are able to come - I will be counting the days, my dear friend!

Yours Truly, Dax B.

P.S. - Thank you so very much for offering to make the arrangements for us to go to this telescope; my heart nearly jumped into my throat when you told me it could be arranged! You are truly a good friend!

Illiad was initially surprised by the lateness of the response and feared for a moment that Dax had lost interest. When the letter arrived he was worried to open it fearing what it might contain, especially if it was more silt. He was glad then that his fears were in vain.

Evening Dax,

Worry not, I understand how much trouble siblings can be. I am the oldest of four in my family of mixed races and they do get away with a whole lot more than I ever did. I wonder what would happen to your brother if you decided to leave the quarry as well? I suppose I must have been my mother's favorite for being Empathic and for becoming an artist like her. While my brother used to annoy me on occasion I still love him dearly.

It does get quite hot out here, but it is significantly cooler within the cities. Out on the dunes the highest temperature recorded was 120 F, but that was when Celestia left the sun up a bit too long soon after Nightmare Moon's defeat. Within the city it is generally 68 to 77 F throughout the day but it can get close to freezing at night. It gets colder in the winter but not too much within the city. You should be fine so long as you stay out of the sunlight, your black coat will certainly get quite hot out of the shade. The city is most active at night given that it is significantly easier to conduct business in the cool night than in the warm day. Though I suppose seeing the city during the day would be best as the crowds are significantly smaller. I do agree though, the stars here are great as there is significantly less light pollution than central Equestria. I found myself in awe of their beauty when I first arrived.

As to the changelings, don't be too frightened. The ones that I want you to meet are good friends of mine and would never do anything to hurt you. They aren't proud of what Chrysalis did, and they are making efforts to undo it. I've heard the local queen has even met with the current Consul on a few occasions in an effort to be a bit more open about their presence so they can be better accepted here. They are happy to meet with you and answer whatever questions you may have.

I must admit I was so surprised when I read about the gifts that I dropped your letter, I am still amazed at how generous your father is being to give me a cloud diamond even if it is particularly small. They are not only quite rare but extremely valuable. It certainly isn't the kind of gift I could accept without reciprocating in some way. Let your father know that I would be more than happy to design him a security seal or watermark for free. You can pick up its printing plate when you come here. You ponies are quite generous, I wish I had more to offer in return but all I really have are my talents, and security is the least frivolous of them all.

I think Luna wants me simply because I am one of few that she trusts to a degree. I am not sure if running a country is what I'm meant to do, but if she believes in me I am willing to give it a try (Perhaps I could be an adviser first?). Luna is particularly kind and caring once she opens up, as I've met with her she has always seemed so caring about me and my work. And I in turn have had the opportunity to see some of her work, she is actually a fine artist, painting her sky on occasion or planning how meteors will fall to achieve the greatest effect. I hope you can get the chance to meet her yourself, I'm sure she'd be happy to see somepony with an enthusiasm for the stars like you.

Has it been that long already? I have cleared up my remaining contracts so I can visit you at the start of next week, we can likely each exchange one more letter before then. Just to be clear, which train station will you be waiting at? I've fallen a bit out of practice with the Equestrian rail system.

(Stamped again with Illiad's mark)

PS, I'm glad to see that you are so excited, I'm sure it will be a wondrous experience for you.

Illiad prepped the letter for delivery, and was surprised to receive a letter as he dropped of his own. It was a blue envelope sealed with the silver lunar seal.

July 4th

The reply comes in the standard two days... but this time, it arrives in a very plain envelope. More dry black silt at the bottom, but this time it doesn't fall out, Illiad was prepared this time.

Dear Illiad,

I wanted to be able to pick you up at Canterlot Station without my Father sending an escort to 'babysit' me, so I'm writing this letter from my tent! I want to be able to greet you without Father's supervision; it might be one of the few times I get to do something without having to worry about his eyes on my back, so to speak.

I realize that, given time, Oglevy will eventually stop being a pain and begin to mature - and I will have to be the big brother. Harcourt used to tease and bully me when I was little, but he did grow to like me; he couldn't stand Oglevy, though - it was the reason he left. It is somewhat sad, but I don't believe those two will ever get along, but I may be incorrect.

I am actually looking forward to the warmth; the mountains are cool and breezy (when they aren't freezing and gusty), so a warmer climate might be able to shake the family chill from my bones! And I am already re-re-RE-studying my star charts and textbooks, so that I can accurately pinpoint the most beautiful constellations when the night sky reigns. I have been requesting access to a camera, but those are exceedingly rare and expensive - meaning it would be quite likely that I would have to fill out reams of forms for my parents to even consider it!

I thank you most graciously for your invitation to meet with your Changeling friends, and will be most pleased to take you up on it - as long as you accompany me, of course! As I have said, I am aware of my limits, and I know I have yet to truly gather much courage; I will try my best with you beside me, though!

I am quite pleased that you are excited about the gifts - but I want to point out that, although Father was the one that cleared them through customs, I am the one who located and retrieved the Cloud Diamond; my Father simply got permission for it to leave Equestria for me! As for the seal you have offered, I would actually be quite honored - and I believe my Father will like it most of all, as he is always on the lookout for anything that makes his job more efficient. You won't get a smile from him - but you MIGHT ACTUALLY GET A THANK YOU!

As much as I would thoroughly enjoy meeting with the Moon Princess, I am well aware that I am only a single apple in the orchard (so to speak), and she has far more important tasks than such. I had heard she was present on Nightmare Night in Ponyville, but I was kept at the manor, as an unwilling captive to the Nightmare Night celebration that Mother fairly well demanded that we have, more for Oglevy than myself. By the time I had managed to slip away and travel the distance, she had already departed, and the celebration was over. It was just not to be - but I still wish I had made it. THAT was a long, long journey home - and not simply in paces, either.

As far as the entire Consul position goes, I do hope you get whatever ends up being the best for YOU - and that we can still write to each other, once you're so important! Even if it only happens once a week, or a month - I'll still be just as eager to hear from you! As it is, I can hardly wait to see you! As I stated, Canterlot station is where we can meet - on the way to the Blackwater Quarry, we can talk about all sorts of things!

Always your friend, Dax B.

P.S. - I don't think you'll have any trouble spotting me; I'll be the one grinning from ear to ear! Safe travels!

Illiad rushed to write his response if only to ensure that it would arrive before he did.

Evening Dax,

I'm surprised your father would send an escort with you to Canterlot of all places. I don't remember it being all that dangerous for normal ponies. None the less, when you're here he won’t be watching you, you'll be able to speak freely. I will be arriving at Canterlot station in three days from when I send this letter, I similarly can't wait to meet you face to face.

It is always sad when a family grows apart, but there is often little that can be done from the outside to fix it. If you end up getting closer to your younger brother you could be what brings your brothers back together. I don't speak from experience, not even second hoof.

Now that you mention it I am looking forward to wind that is not full of sand and that won’t gouge your eyes out if you look directly into it. A cooler climate will be a nice break from the back and forth swing of desert temperatures. Now that you mention it, a camera would be nice, but similarly here they are expensive and the climate is no good for their inner workings.

I will of course be with you when we visit my changeling friends, don't worry. Their excited to meet you too as you are one of very few ponies that have expressed any interest in learning about them, from them.

I am amazed at your generosity, for you to give up something so valuable... It gives me hope for the future of Equestria if there are ponies like you in it. If only more shared your open-mindedness and generosity. I am surprised that your father actually managed to get Equestrian Customs to let them through. He must be one powerful pony to get the border guards to allow that. I'll be sure to talk with your father about the seal so I can make it when we come back to Troy. Do be sure to tell him about it before I arrive so he knows what to expect.

You'd be surprised how friendly Princess Luna can be, you may be a grain in the dune but if you wrote her a letter you'd stand out like a star in the sky to her. I've heard that there's one little colt in Ponyville that writes her letters every so often, it brings a smile to her face to read them.

If I do become Consul or an Advisor I will be sure to not forget about you. I may not have too many friends, but the ones I do have are forever.

(The letter is ended with Illiad's mark)

PS, I will be wearing a light colored cloak, it is much colder in Canterlot than it is here.

After sending the letter Illiad began to pack up a few of his belongings for the trip, he packed standard Trojan garb for the trip back in addition to his everyday supplies. He also packed his sketching materials so he could design a security seal for Mr. Blackwater. All packed, he finished up the last of his contracts with his remaining time. On the moonset of the second day he left for the train station dressed in a whitish cloak. He boarded and would arrive at Canterlot, after a transfer at Dodge JCT, in the early afternoon.

Author's Note:

This story was adapted lovingly from the ongoing role play between myself and Randimaxis.

Comments are greatly appreciated.

Comments

[DwhitetheGamer]

You caught me off guard with this, mah boy.

I couldn't be able to see the post because of the un-godly amount of people you mentioned, me included, but this is great! Hope our story gets in!

[Randimaxis]

This was the part where I started trying to give the impression of what Dax was going to be like; intelligent, excitable, kind and curious. But I wanted to show that there may have been some underlying issues, too - the proper 'Mother' and 'Father' titles at every mention, and erased words that point to a deeper layer beneath that Dax was too shy to share... yet.

Also, this is where I started feeling out what Illiad Easle was like: His attitude, his motivations, his likes and dislikes, and his fears. I'm no actual psychologist, but I will say that I've stuck my nose into a few books on the subject, and what I was getting from the Trojan was someone that I could work with to REALLY weave a fun story between us.

And so, we did just that.