Beginnings
Dear Princess Celestia,
Now, Ah know that the last time ah wrote ya, Ah wasn't to mightly bothered by nothin' but lately Ah'm thinkin' about how things are. Not that Ah don't know nothin' er anythin' a that sort but sometimes Ah wonder if Ah'm doin' what Ah want with mah life. Ah don't 'spect you ta come down an tell me Ah'm important ta the ponies around me, Ah figured that'n out a while ago. Just somthin' in the back a mah head keeps naggin me an Ah can't figure it out. Mah life ain't none too complex. I'm a simple, family mare who's helpin' her family an tryin' to make it through runnin' a farm an on top a all that Ah'm still there fer mah friends an try mah best ta make sure that no matter what, they get the help they deserve.
Heh, Guess Ah never thought'd be so darn hard fer me ta be honest with mahself. Ah 'spose what Ah'm getting' at is that Ah dunno how long Ah can keep all this up. Ah never did properly know mah parents, every one that did know em tells me that they were the hardest workin' ponies ya ever saw. It's hard not knowin' em personally though. Naw I don't mean Ah ain't got family ta lean on but ya know 'Mac ain't to big on talkin' and Apple Bloom's just a filly, can't really expect her ta jump right up an pick me up. Mac does his chores, an Ah know the farm'd be crazier that a rattlesnake in a boot without 'em. Bloom, well she's a whole other hornets nest on her own. Ah don't particularly care to lean on Granny to much neither. Seein' as she's getting to be a bit frail. Maybe Ah just need a breath a different air, go on back ta the city fer a while an find mah self.
As I'm sure you remember, as Twilight has so oft reminded myself, I was quite the socialite back in Manehatten.
But enough o' that nonsense. Ah know that yer busy an this proly seems like sumthin' that mah friends could help me with an Ah know they'd do their best but.. Ah dunno. Ah'm sure you can help me figure this whole thing out. Hopefully I hear back from ya in a short bit but Ah did wanna mention sumthin' else since Ah was writtin' ya anyways. Ah can't rightly say this'll be the only letter ya get her in a while, seems like everypony's havin' one issue er another. Sure Ah've asked em what's wrong but Ah never get any kinda real answer from anypony. Ah know that Twi' and Spike had a bit of a tumble the other day an Ah ain't seen hair er hide a Fluttershy in a bouta week er so. Ah ain't one ta go puttin' words er none in anyponies mouth Ah just hope they're okay an things 'ill get back ta normal here in Ponyville sometime soon.
Sorry again fer takin' up yer time. Ah know that you of anypony has important buisness ta get back to an Ah sure as hay Sunshine know that Ah get a bit bothered on a account a ponies distractin' me a mah work 'n such. Ah just wish Ah knew what to do, things seem a bit fallin' apart. Ah swear to ya, lately every things' so topsy-turvey Ah'm likely ta lose mah mane if it weren't attached ta mah head! Ah mean, ah figure without at least getting some honest answers outta somepony 'round here Ah can't start helpin' mah friends and without helpin' mah friends Ah'm just stuck on the farm an Ah dunno if Ah can handle another day without seein' em. Please, if ya find the time Ah could mightily appreciate some help, Princess. An thank ya kindly fer takin' time outta yer day to hear me out!
Honestly,
Applejack
Princess Celestia read over the letter in front of her once more, just to insure that she had properly interpreted what she'd seen. With a puzzled look on her face, she eyed the messenger pigeon that delivered the lightly tattered letter to her and simply shooed it away. The night done, she needed to peal herself away from this to raise The Sun as she had done for more than millennium. Yet today, today the dawn came slightly later than usual. The task itself had become no less intensive, yet the thought of Honesty being so languid, so simply stuck in her situation weighed heavily on the Solar Princess. Today there was no vibrant sunlight basking the valley's of Equestia, no golden plumes of radiance dancing among the dew covered grass. No, today the Sun was a hazy languid shell of itself, still warm, still bright yet in some way, lacking. As though hollow.
Dawn had broke and there was nothing to be done of such an empty Sun rise, the Princess, in hopes of meeting her sister before she retired, began a slow trot through the halls. Her steps gingerly clicking the marble floors beneath her yet the sound itself, usually crisp and sharp was instead dull and muted. There was no lengthy echo. Even the humming of crystal lamps and the lights of torches were dimmed and the flames very small, casting but a lambent glimmer of their former light. The world lay about the Princess seemingly a shade of itself, its vibrancy seemingly washed away amongst the flow of time. Each and every detail awash with a peculiar blandness barely noticeable without concentration. It would be unlikely if anypony, save her sister, would notice such a phenomenon.
She approached the Goddess of Night's door way and was greeted with the door opening on her arrival. Standing before her Celestia saw her sister and her face was a mixed emotion between disappointment and concern. She spoke with a regal, yet whispered tone.
“Dearest Sister, what has caused thee such concern as to show in your Daylight?”