14

How did you and Twilight get to know each other, anyway? When did you first start becoming friends? I mean, I’m going to assume that you are, because you’re in close enough correspondence that you confessed the details of her crush to you, or at least she knows you well enough that she could infer it from you. I was sort of under the impression that she had a really hard time making friends before she moved to Ponyville, if she had any in the first place.

Then again, she made all sorts of friends after she she moved here. At least, in her own, Twilight-ish sort of way. Got to know a lot of them, then started doing things heroic enough that everypony wanted to know her, and then she just fell into being friends with everypony. I think? She certainly seemed to have a knack for it that some of us didn’t. Fluttershy, for example. And me.

I almost want to say that it’s been a short time to form such a close bond with other ponies. But now that I think about it, hasn’t it been four years since we all first met each other?

I didn’t realize it, but we’re all getting older. Making and breaking friendships, advancing careers, developing new hobbies, growing upwards and outwards. Remaking ourselves, if you will, as entirely different ponies from who we used to be. I mean, take Rarity; she’s not just a known-name socialite in Canterlot, she’s also starting to become a nationally-known dressmaker, at least in that sort of community. And I guess technically speaking, I’ve gone from wage-slave and thunderbolts admire to a junior flight captain. Heck, I don’t doubt it if I’ll be a Wonderbolt proper in a year or two.

So why do I still feel like I’m the only one not growing up? Always the brash, obnoxious, shortsighted, vain one. If we’re supposed to be changing, I really don’t feel like I am. Who I was just stuck with me, and it’s going to keep sticking to me for the rest of my life.

I’ve always been crummy at defining irony, but I’m the best flyer out of any of us. If I’m the one that feels chained down by everything else, is that ironic?

I guess I’m just kind of lonely, really. Don’t get me wrong; I love my friends with all my heart, I love tank, and I love feeling awesome without feeling like I’m lying to myself about how good I am. But Everypony seems like they’ve got their own special someponies, these days. Fluttershy and Discord. Twilight with somepony – don’t know who, haven’t confirmed it, but the hunch is there. I’m all but positive Rarity knew about Spike’s crush years ago, and I think that as soon as he’s a bit older, they’re going to start dating properly. Just a little bit longer. Then Applejack had Trenderhoof, who at least seemed genuine about the whole thing, and Pinkie Pie…well, I dunno about her, but I know that everypony basically loves her, so it’s only a matter of time until she realizes it and starts thinking about having a family.

Maybe that’s why I’m talking to you, do you think? Because I’m kind of desperate to think there’s somepony watching me, waiting for me to wake up and finally grab at a chance I might never get again? Even if I probably don’t know you, haven’t seen you, don’t really know anything about what you like or what you’re like?

I want to say “I doubt it”, act flippant, and move on. Heck, I might still do that. But at least now, I feel like I’ve got just a little bit of clarity about the whole thing.

Thank you for making me feel wanted, needed. At least, in a different sort of way.

That being said…what is Twilight hoping to do with this? At least now, when I’m thinking about it, I doubt that the whole thing is a prank. She stinks at pranks, and this whole thing is way too mean-spirited to be much of her kind of humor anyway. And I don’t think she’s using it as an opportunity to snoop on me, either. I mean, I’m kind of an open book; ~~I don’t think I even bother to lock my door most of the time.~~

Don’t you dare go through my stuff, by the way. And don’t tell Twilight to do it, either. Or anypony else.

So she’s almost certainly got to be having good intentions about the whole thing. But good intentions to you? Or to me? Or to both of us?

It’s more thinking then I want to do right now.

The picnic was fine. We’re doing another one together, so I’ll try and write tomorrow’s letter tomorrow morning, and get it to you after lunch. For now, I want to get a bit more flight practice in, then I just want to read until I go to bed.

Well, maybe I’ll think about this quote-unquote “puzzle” a bit more in between all of that. ~~I don’t care that I’m being redundant, okay?~~

Write to you later,

-Rainbow Dash

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15

So I did some more thinking about that whole “puzzle” thing. At least, about the three different possible things it could have been. Came to my own conclusions about it, but I’m not sure that they’re right.

First case: You pointed her at a way to get my attention as a favor to her. Honestly, I think this is probably the most likely one. The fact that I’m writing you back is doing a favor to you, and probably to get me to act more…Twilight-ish, I guess. Writing all the time, I mean.

But I guess the second one is also fairly obvious. I mean, it would be in Twilight’s interest to try and make other ponies happy, right? But that would require her knowing that this was the sort of things that I’ve wanted, which as far as I know I’ve never given any indication of, ever.

And then trying to pair us together would require both the first and the second to be true, so it’s definitely the least likely one of all, right? I mean, speaking obviously, and all that?

But then why do I feel like this is some kind of, I don’t know, shipping project? Which also just kind of isn’t her. But I don’t even want to think about motive and incentive outside her. I mean, she couldn’t be pressured into doing something like this, right?

She’s a freaking alicorn. Saved the world a bunch of times. Probably stronger than any pony alive, princesses included What on earth could be pressuring her to do this? What could she be scared of?

Am I getting suspicious again? How freaking suspicious should I be about this?

…Okay, funny story about all of that, really. I actually got around to returning a stack of books for Twilight, who was actually around this time. Of course, I mean, she wanted to talk about my impressions and all of that, so I pretended that I had to talk to Scootaloo about something and zipped out of there. Which is to say, I zipped right into Applejack’s face, who happened to be standing right outside of the doorway to Twilight’s room.

Just so I could have legitimized the excuse, I actually did head over to her little clubhouse after disentangling myself from AJ. Kind of cute place, except for the memorabilia of me, which was…kind of flattering, but kind of creepy. Like, I know I’m awesome, but how is it possible to find me *that* awesome?

But whatever. Today was actually probably the best day to visit them, since not only were they hanging around, but they were actually taking a break from doing the whole we’ve-gotta-find-our-cutie-marks thing that they normally do. Which isn’t to say that they were actually taking anything easy: they were practicing that cheer that they did for the Equestrian Games. Said that they wanted to do it even better then before – not that they were going to find their cutie marks that way, but they wanted to do something fun as a group with each other. Challenge each other, no stakes behind it, to be the best cheer team they could possibly be. And that was just kind of innocent, you know? Not caring about consequences or implications: just youthful imagination and endless energy.

I didn’t give tips. That would have ruined the point. But the girls tried so many different things, worked with so many different…thingies, whatever they’re called, I don’t know. But it felt awesome. I’m gonna have to stop over to check up on them on another day – who knows? It could be fun.

I think it was kind of late in the afternoon when I finally got back to the castle. I didn’t figure I had anything else on my plate for the day, right? So I was just going to grab a bite to eat, read a bit, and get ready for tomorrow. And of course, I go into my room, and there’s a letter on my pillow.

I panicked, at first. Thought it was from you, but the hoofwriting was pretty distinctly not. It was Applejack. She wants to see me, believe it or not.

What the hay is that supposed to be about? I think it was meant for me today, but it’s pretty late at night, so I’m just going to flat-out ignore that. I’ll see what she wants tomorrow. Tonight it’s just me, my book and this letter. Which I am going to drop off right…about…now.

Catch you on the flipside!

-Rainbow Dash

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