Dear Princess Celestia,
Where to begin?
It has been awhile since last we spoke face to face, and I never did get the chance to see you on Hearts and Hooves Day. It was nice to see Cadence and Shining Armor again, but it wasn’t the same without you. My brother said you had something else going on, so I can only assume you went to go see Granny Smith.
That, or you’re hiding some lover away in your castle that neither I nor Luna knows about...the plot thickens...
Things have been mostly the same as they always have in Ponyville, but I can’t deny that Scootaloo has finally come into her own and made quite a few leaps and bounds. Most of them have been over hedges and anywhere she has been able to build a ramp, but her wings have grown a little and she’s been able to keep herself buzzing around town even without her scooter. She's doing well in school and has gotten involved with one of the local sports teams. I’ve never seen her Dad so proud!
He’s found some work with the mail service, and has been put under the care of Miss Ditzy until he can get the hang of it. They’ve become fast friends, and even though he’s still learning the trade she has been extremely patient with him. They’ve begun to spend a lot of time together with their daughters, and Dinky and Scootaloo have also begun to “hang out”, as Scootaloo calls it. It’s nice that they’re looking out for one another: I’ve never seen Dinky anywhere besides with her mother, but now she’s a Crusader and plays with the others every day. It’s amazing, how fast these things can happen...
Spike has been quiet these past few weeks. I can’t tell if it was his meeting with Rarity or the fact that his gifts took so much out of him that he’s just a little worn out. Regardless, the girls and I have decided to take him out to breakfast today as a token of thanks for being so thoughtful. Rarity found a quite spectacular diamond a little while ago and has been asking me to throw him a little party so she could give it to him. I don’t how he’ll take it, but something tells me it will be a good morning for everyone.
I talked with Applejack, and she’s very grateful you came down to the farm to help Granny Smith pass on. She’s been waiting for it for a while, and she’s happy that you could be the one to do it. She sat with Applebloom for a while after you left and talked things over with her. She was a little mad at first, a little hurt, but she understood in the end. She’s such a brave filly, and there is no doubt in mind that she is definitely Granny Smith’s granddaughter.
As for me, I have nothing new to report. The past few weeks have been so centered on my friends and the others that I haven’t really had time to think about myself. I don’t mind though: even if I don’t have a Very-Special-Somepony to dote on me, it’s nice to spend time with my friends.
I hope to see you sometime soon, and I hope that you and Princess Luna are both alright. Give my regards to Cadence and Shining Armor, and tell them I miss them both.
Your Faithful Stude
I almost forgot my lesson! It’s been awhile since I’ve contacted you directly about what I’ve learned, I guess it just slipped my mind. I know you said to only mail you whenever I learn something new, but it's odd not having my old weekly schedule anymore. I liked sending you letters every week, it always gave me an excuse to write to you.
This last holiday has been rather taxing, both for myself and everyone else, but now that the dust has settled a little I’ve been able to see that there is nothing in the definition of Hearts and Hooves Day which requires one to be in love to enjoy it. Spike might be a little hurt, and I have no doubt Rarity is a little hurt as well, but they both love one another even if it’s not a romantic love like Spike hoped for. They still care about each other, just like how I care for the girls. I might not have a Very-Special-Somepony, but that doesn’t mean I can show my love for my friends and family. They mean more to me than anything else, so why shouldn’t they count?
Hearts and Hooves Day is a time to remember how those around you have changed your life, given you hope for the future, picked you up when you lacked the courage or the strength to do it yourself. It’s a time to give thanks for the things that others do for you, and an opportunity for you to be thanked in return for how you've inspired others. If you have somepony special, it’s a time to show them you love them and give thanks for the love they’ve shown you, however you choose to do it. I might not have first-hand evidence to support that last point, but it’s a theory I’ve been giving more thought to exploring.
I do wonder when I’ll meet someone special, someone who can handle my sleeping patterns, study habits, and all my other quirks and oddities...but those things can wait for a little while longer:
I have all the love I need for right now.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
P.S. Spike wants me to tell you to tell Shining Armor that if he doesn’t keep that necklace he made for Cadence in perfect condition, he’s never helping him with last-minute gift ideas ever again.