Modern Equestria: A Guide and Primer

by Private Joke

1 Introduction and Foreword

By Twilight Sparkle

In my life, I have been through many trials and challenges, from the relatively mundane – opening stores, helping friends and family face their personal demons – to the truly apocalyptic; time travel, defeating and then befriending Discord, and banishing Lord Tirek back to Tartaros. But I couldn’t have done any of these things were it not for my friends; Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. These five ponies, among countless others, have helped guide me ever since I came to Ponyville.

But by far the greatest challenge any of us have faced came just last year, when the Storm King attacked Equestria and conquered Canterlot. My friends and I were forced to flee Equestria entirely, to seek help beyond our borders. On our journey we saw many amazing places, and met amazing creatures of all shapes and sizes, several of whom became fast friends. But I also came to a realization; Our land faces dangers far beyond what I ever expected back at home in Ponyville. I realized that the six of us, that I, could not do it alone.

That, my dear students, is where you come in; as students of the School of Friendship, you will be taught by myself and my closest friends, learning to spread the Magic of Friendship, within Equestria and far beyond her borders, so that we can all build a better world together. This book will serve as your primer to Equestria, our culture, history, biology and society. I have enlisted the aid of experts in the various topics covered, including agriculture, science, magic, fashions and etiquette – some of which may be familiar to our equine students, but I certainly hope that even they will find something they didn’t know, and be willing to share that knowledge with other students, and perhaps even other species you may meet in day-to-day life. Your professors will issue you additional reading material and suggest books to you that cover each topic in far greater depth than this single text can possibly hope to cover, but I hope this book will give you plenty of food for thought and a good grounding in what life is like in Equestria, and our outlook on the world

With that, I would like to finish by saying that I am so very proud to have you all here at the school. It is my hope that you will all flourish, growing both academically and in your love for each other. I know you will all go on to do great things. Please know that if you ever need anything, you should always feel free to come speak with a teacher or the Guidance Counsellor, Starlight Glimmer.

-Headmare Twilight Sparkle