Dedicated to the Good Times
Author's Note:
I know that this may not be the most eloquent or well written story I've done and it's certainly a far cry from my usual fare, but this is a story that I have wanted to write for a long time. In high school, I had a group of friends that were as close as friends could be. We were family and that's what we called our group: the Fam Damily. This story is dedicated to them.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Five years. That's how long it has been since...since we moved on. Gosh, the words are kind of hard to write aren't they? I guess that what happened was inevitable really; we weren't bound to each other in any permanent way once the Elements of Harmony chose six other ponies to wield them. I suppose that shouldn't surprise me. Even you don't fully understand what makes the Elements work.
But...why? I still ask myself that every day, why did we have to grow apart? I know that we were hundreds of miles away, but why did that mean we had to drift apart like that!? I know that Rainbow and Rarity are busy with their careers and all, but can't they take a little time to come see us? I mean, it feels like they don't even care sometimes, like we've been pushed into a back shelf in their lives. I know they're busy, being the captain of the Wonderbolts and the premier fashion designer of Equestria does that to a pony, but why can't they just take some time to see us every now and again!? Why do we have to be ignored!?
No, no they're not ignoring us. I shouldn't say that. They do care, I know they do. Every now and again they write to us and I cherish every letter I get from the two of them and each one tells me beyond a reasonable doubt that they still see us as family. I remember when I broke my leg last year and within an hour I had worried letters from the both of them asking me if i was okay. Their career choices haven't stopped them from being the ponies that I knew and loved and don't hate them for leaving to follow their dreams any more than they would hate me for following mine. We're too good of friends to be so selfish that we don't want the other to be happy just so we can stay together.
Still, there have been times where Rainbow is touring near Ponyville or Rarity is in a neighboring town promoting a new fashion line and we still don't see them! Pinkie Pie will send them an invitation to a party that she's throwing for the six of us but inevitably one of them will not show up because of their work obligations. It's just not fair! Why can't they take one lousy day out of their busy lives to get together with a group of ponies that mean the world to them? What could possibly be more important than friends to them!?
Again, I know they're not ignoring us and that they'd come if they could, and they do if they can, but I just cannot stand there being five or six months in between each visit. Do you want to know how long it has been since I've seen Rainbow Dash? Three months! It has been three months since I've seen one of my best friends in the whole world. It is the same with Rarity, she missed Rainbow by a week and once again it was just five of us. I know I should be grateful for even five of us getting together, but what's wrong with all six of us getting together? Why can't fate just give us that!?
Although, Applejack hasn't been in Ponyville too much now these days either. Appleloosa is booming and she's been spending a lot of time there, helping her blood relatives in any way she can. In her own way, Applejack could have wielded the Element of Loyalty just as well as Rainbow Dash did.
Pinkie, Fluttershy, and I are still close. Every morning I got to Sugarcube Corner for a wonderful pastry and Pinkie's smiles brighten up my day like nothing else can. Still, I know she's sad that it had to end just the same as we all are. Her, Fluttershy, and I hang out every Thursday evening if we can, but somehow life is getting in the way and our Thursday meetings are getting fewer and far between too. I don't understand, I just don't understand.
Spike...I don't remember the last time I saw him. Ever since he went to go live with the other dragons it’s like we haven't meant anything to him. It's like we were just his temporary family until he got to go be with his own kind. I hatched him for goodness sakes and he just leaves without any kind of contact at all!? I know that dragons don't fraternize with ponies but...he was like my son and now he's gone. When is he coming back? I don't know. I don't know if I'll ever see him again. Every so often I'll look out into the horizon and see a green and purple teenage dragon and I'll wonder if it's him. Maybe it is maybe it isn't.
I...I realize that this hasn't been the most organized and well thought out letters that I've ever written to you. It's 3:00 in the morning here and I'm wide awake. I just keep remembering us, how we used to be, how I thought we were always meant to be. I don't suppose that I truly knew that it would last forever, but I suppose that in the forefront of my mind I thought that even death would only be a temporary setback for us, a small break after which we'd be together forever, just like it always was but better. We wouldn't have the stresses of life to weigh us down, we wouldn't have threats to Equestria that we'd have to brave, we would just be Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity being ourselves and being together.
But you know, now that I think about it we'll get that anyway, won't we? We'll be together again, just like it was only better. We'll rise past the separation and be the friends that wielded the Elements of Harmony. It'll all be okay someday.
Again, I realize that this isn't the most eloquent letter and it isn't really a friendship report, which is what I set out to write in the first place. I'm not entirely sure why. Now that I think about it though, I'm not one who doesn't finish what she started! I'm Twilight Sparkle and I'm going to write you a friendship report! Here it goes.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Over the past five years, I've learned a very hard lesson: I learned that your friends won't always be there. Life will interfere and the ponies that you thought would always be right by your side won't be there anymore. The bonds of friendship will dull. However, they will not break. They will never break as long as you decide to protect them. I've decided to protect the bonds of friendship forged by both happiness and sorrow, cool spring water and fire, good times and bad. Friendships as strong as ours can never truly be erased. As long as we cherish the good times we had, we can never truly drift apart. Our lives changed forever as a result of our friendships and we've turned into better ponies because of it. I choose to never let that go away. I chose to protect the cherish memories of the times we shared. I chose to focus on the good times we had then, not the rough times we may be experiencing now. After all, even death can't break the friendship we had. Even the bad times we had are memories that can have a positive impact on us as we emerged from them stronger friends than ever. Nothing can take that away. Nothing can ever take that away.
I dedicate this final friendship letter to the good times.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle