Pen Pals

“Okay class, settle down!” The mulberry mare called from the front of the class, her gentle tones wafting through the chatter of eager foals like a hot knife through butter. The aforementioned foals all quieted down and sat down in their proper seats so their teacher could start whatever lesson she had for the day.

“Now today we’re going to be doing something special! We’re going to learn how to write letters.” A collective groan emanated from the now discouraged foals, writing was universally despised in the schoolhouse. Mainly because of the amount of earth ponies, mouthwriting was hard.

“Now now, children.” Miss Cheerilee chided her class with a bemused grin. “I can assure you this lesson is different.” The foals all clearly still did not like the assignment. “From all over Equestria and beyond, ponies, griffons, zebras, and many other creatures have agreed to be pen pals with the schoolfoals of Equestria to promote cultural growth and understanding.”

Now none of the foals knew what ‘cultural growth and understanding’ meant, but they did know one thing. They might get somepony-or someone- who’s famous to be their pen pal! Like the Arch Duke of Griffonia, or the President of the Zebrican Republic, or even a Wonderbolt! The possibilities were infinite!

“Now one by one I want you all to come up here and draw a name out of the top-hat, which Time Turner has gladly let us use. There will be an address, a correct title, and of course the country where they reside.” The murmur between the foals steadily grew in volume, eliciting a smile from their teacher. “No cutting, no trading, and no do-overs.”

With that, the foals all happily rose from their desks and lined up, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon taking their ‘rightful place’ at the front of the line as always. At the very back of the line, and none too happy about it, were none other than the Cutie Mark Crusaders, with Scootaloo at the very back of the pack.

“Augh, c’mon! By the time I get up there, Rainbow Dash will already be taken!” The flightless fily groaned in frustration, clearly annoyed with being constantly given the short end of the proverbial stick.

“An’ how do y’all know Rainbow Dash is even in that there hat?” Applebloom eyed her sullen friend questioningly. “Why anypony here could jus’ go an’ talk to her! Who needs her as a pen pal?”

“What?!” The look on Scootaloo’s face was incredulous. Like somepony had just insulted her mother. “I do! So nopony else in Equestria can!” The pegasus’ companions simply rolled their eyes.

“Ha! Princess Luna!” The gloat came from the very front of the line, from the Queen Bee herself. “Of course I would get a Princess, I mean who else is deserving of my words?” Another collective groan came from the class, including the teacher at the front of the room.

“Hanin Al Awo, Saddle Arabian Ambassador to Equestria...?” A very confused Silver Spoon read her slip, she wasn’t even sure who this was! How was she supposed to write to them?!

Over the next half hour the line moved steadily, some foals complaining about their picks and others simply too happy to move. When it finally came down to the last three in the class =, the pickings were bound to be bare as a bone.

Sweetie Belle trotted up to the top-hat and fired up her horn. Within recent months she had been practicing her magic more, something she had been putting off for some time due to crusading. She levitated a folded piece of paper out of the hat with some effort and opened it.

Gilo Raggedbeak, Prince Of The Griffon Kingdoms

An address followed which Sweetie Bell could hardly pronounce, let alone read was printed afterwards. She stared at it curiously, she had never talked to a Prince before, or a griffon for that matter. “I got some Griffon Prince. Gilo....Raggedbeak.”

“Oh, Prince Gilo is about your age, Sweetie Belle. Someday he’s going to be the ruler of all of the Griffon Kingdoms! Oh, I was just waiting for one of you to get him.” Their teacher’s smile was lost on them, big deal, some foreign Prince. Blah blah blah. So, Sweetie went back to her desk to collect her things and wait for her friends.

Applebloom was next, he reached into the hat with her mouth and pulled out a slip of paper. She laid it flat on the rim of the garment and read the contents to whoever was listening.

“Ah got Rainbow Dash.”

“Oh come on!” The pegasus behind her shouted in pure and utter disbelief. “Really?!”

“Ah would trade with ya, Scoots...but no trades.” The earth filly patted her friend’s slowly sinking shoulders. “Sorry...”

The begrudged pegasus trudged up to the hat and pulled the last slip of paper out. She unfolded it and scoffed at what was inside.

“Pony Hawk? The washed-up skater?” The filly sighed and accepted her admittedly lame fate. “Of course, why not.” The filly went to join her friends, albeit sadly. Things were just not going her way today.

Sweetie Belle sat at a worktable her sister had set up for her to write at, bolts of fabric piled up around the now clear space. A piece of paper sat in front of the young unicorn, its blankness intimidating. It was like all of the infinite possibilities, good and bad, that could come from the paper was too much to even tempt with a mere stroke of a pencil.

“How do you write to a Prince...?” She asked aloud, assured nopony would answer. Initially, when she had told Rarity who she had recieved as a pen pal, the mare had been ecstatic. Royalty! Her sister was going to be conversing with a foreign dignitary, and a future king no less! Luckily, Rarity had a spa date to attend with Fluttershy...so she would not be hovering all evening.

Dear Your Highness,

“No, no, no.” Sweetie erased the offending words with one stroke of her mighty eraser, eradicating them with ease. She needed something less formal, but still honorable.

Dear Prince Gilo,

There! That worked, it wasn’t too flashy, it didn’t scream ‘eminence.’ It was good.

Today in class I picked your name out of a hat to be my pen pal! I’m sorry if I’m not writing this right, but I’ve never written to a Prince before. I don’t know how to be all cordial or anything in print, I can’t bow with words. Sorry.

Sweetie Belle put the eraser of her pencil in her mouth, chewing on it idly. How did one write a letter to a Prince they’ve never heard of before? How do you make a one-sided conversation flow?

My teacher and older sister say you’re really important and all, but they also said you’re my age. I’m eight by the way. So I figured you might like some of the stuff I do. Do you like Crognar The Barbarian? I do! My favorite issue is #206 where he beats up the skeleton army all by himself! My friend Spike lends me his comic books when he can get his claws on them.

She wasn’t quite sure where to go from here, was she supposed to just keep going? Or should she end it? Ugh, letter writing. It was so...hard. In fact, too hard. She was just going to end it now.

Love, Sweetie Belle.

Perfect! Well...close enough.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

Y’all better give me back that shovel you borrowed from me, you good-for-nothing Pigeon. It’s been a month, what d’ya need a shovel for that long for anyhow? You live in a cloud house! Also, you need to give the east orchard more rain, my apple trees are starting to wilt again. Again.

Signed,

Appleja

Applebloom

PS: ~Applejack

Applebloom sighed as she read her letter over again, well it wasn’t really her letter. Applejack had jumped at the chance to get onto her pegasus friend in a more soid way than just shouting at her cloud home.

Of course, Applebloom wasn’t surprised. Her sister was as hot-headed as her pegasus counterpart. The only difference being the amount of time it took to get them to their boiling points.

Somehow the youngest Apple knew that this was not goingto go her way.

Scootaloo put her quill down. It was an antiquated form of writing, but when you have useless wings you might as well use the feathers for something, right? The only place in town that carried the ink she needed was closed today, another reason to hate Mondays, so she had to resort to the only other place that would have spare ink.

“Oh, Scootaloo. I’m so happy Cheerilee has gotten you foals writing!” The purple alicorn paced back and forth behind the filly. Most ponies would be in awe of the Princess, especially if she was providing them with assistance. Scootaloo...well Scootaloo couldn’t give a hoof. “Sure, it’s not exactly a checklist. But still! Writing! Writing makes books!”  A visible shiver ran through the newly crowned Princess.

“Uh-huh. Books.” Scootaloo rested her head on the table in front of her. “Can I just get back to writing? Or get started...?” She mumbled the last part, being in a bad mood was not commonplace for her at all.

“Oh, of course! If you need any help just yell!” With that, the lavendar Princess trotted off, mumbling something about scrolls.

Pony Hawk,

The only reason i’m writing this is because it’s an assignment and I really can’t miss another one. I’ve had a bad day, first somepony else gets Rainbow Dash, then nopony wants to go crusading for our cutie marks, then my scooter broke on the way home. Not. A. Great. Day.

I know you’re retired now and everything, which sucks because you were actually pretty cool. Not as cool as Rainbow Dash, though. You should get back out there, not just give up and quit. Quitters never win anything.

-Scootaloo

It wasn’t a masterpiece, it was hardly friendly at all. But it would have to do. She wrote the dumb letter and that was enough, hopefully he was too busy being old to answer. Then her part would be over. Bam. Insta-A.

Then again, there’s no telling what the mail will bring.

“Gilo, are you listening to me?” Two Griffons strode through the ancient hallways of the palace. The elder wore a silver crown upon his feathered head, his hindquarters was coated in black fur, and his eyes had golden feathers surrounding them. The younger was almost a duplicate, save for the silver ring of feathers around his eyes and lack of a crown.

“Yes, father. I’m listening.” Truth be told, he was not. His father went on and on about royal procedures, and how he was going to be the future king someday, circle of life, evil uncle, blah blah blah.

“Gilo...” His father, the current king, sighed deeply. “Why will you not take this seriously? It is imperative, son. If you do not pay attention, then our kingdom may be in jeopardy one day and you will not know what to do. What then?” The king stopped and put a taloned hand on his son’s shoulder to halt his progress.

“I will ask my advisors father, isn’t that what they’re for?” The young Griffon asked without missing a beat. His father, for his part, just sighed and shook his head.

“My son...when will you learn? A king cannot just ask his advisors about every last thing, lest they think him weak and malleble. Then you are nothing but a puppet to whomever the nobility appoints.” Seeing as how Gilo was just studying his talons, his father gve up for the time being.

His only hope was that someone could get through to his son, no matter who they were.