Bookhorse Answers

by MLPFan234

Rating: everyone
Tags: Random, Slice of Life
Length: 8194

You may know me as Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, but really, I'm just a horse who likes books. I will answer readers' letters. I hope this will help you get to know me better!

You may know me as Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, but really, I'm just a horse who likes books. I will answer reader's letters. I hope this will help you get to know me better!

These are my answers to everyponies letters!

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-10-27 14:20:22 UTC

Who is best pony?

|Who is Best Pony?|

I have gotten this question before, and well, I suppose I just don’t understand. It’s not specified in what context or using which criteria this pony would be best, yet the question keeps coming back, which suggests ponies think there’s some sort of objective, general absolute best. That is of course ridiculous.

Even if narrowing the scope, it can be hard or impossible to choose a “best” pony. Some things cannot be quantified, and one never has all the data. Such an assessment requires a clear methodology; to define what is considered best and which ponies are being compared, in which time frame. In such cases it may be possible to determine. I mean, I am the current best Princess of Friendship in Equestria, but that is because I am the only Princess of Friendship in Equestria.

If there is such a thing is an objective, overall best pony, all I can say for certain is that it’s not me. I am far from perfect. Not that anypony is perfect, but I don’t wish to criticize others; I can only speak for myself, and I’m not that remarkable.

Either way, you really should ask more specific questions, and recognize that there are many facets to being good and that ponies are valuable in their own way. It’s not a contest!

|Dear Princess Twilight, what is your opinion on Discord at the time being, and his friendship with Fluttershy?|

Well, he’s certainly improving. He still has a great deal to learn though, but who doesn’t? What matters is that he’s willing to learn and making an effort. After all, the purpose of reforming somepony isn’t to instantly turn them into a paragon of virtue, but rather turn them into somepony who wants to be virtuous.

I think sometimes ponies misunderstand the concept of reformation, and might think Discord was never actually reformed because he still does some unsavory things, but being good isn’t just a matter of morality, it’s very much about learning correct behaviors, or unlearning incorrect behaviors. Good intentions are only part of the equation.

His friendship with Fluttershy is great for them both. They’re very different, but I think that just means they can learn from each other. Besides, I can’t really be opposed to it, as the Princess of Friendship that would be quite ironic!

|Dear Princess, Aside from books, what are your favorite films to watch at the local cinema? And are there any you're looking forward to?|

I don’t watch films much. I don’t really have time; I often have a very busy schedule and films are substantial time investments. After all, a film can take two whole hours, and I can read a book in less time than that. Not to mention I don’t need to go the theater, stand in line for tickets and so forth in order to read a book.

Besides, I much prefer reading fiction, as it’s more about using your imagination to envision the story. The words are there to guide you of course, but you add just as much to it yourself. Furthermore, books allow for plenty of wordplay, clever phrasings, just enjoying how sentences are constructed and so much more that you don’t get nearly enough of in films.

Still, there is that new Star Horse everypony’s going on about coming out soon. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing that with friends. I’ve always been more of a Star Trot enthusiast, but I did find the Star Horse films interesting as modern iterations of the classical mythological narrative structure which often appears in ancient stories, especially of Pegasean origin.

I have heard rumors of a cinematic adaptation of the Daring Do novels, which I am interested in. You could say I’m cautiously optimistic; such adaptations usually don’t do the original work justice, but it is quite the enjoyable and action filled series which certainly has a lot of potential to be done really well. Sometimes it’s almost like it was meant to be films.

Still, it is just a rumor, and I wouldn’t want to be spreading misinformation, so I hope I am being clear that this is just something I have heard and I am neither confirming nor denying it. I am only mentioning it because it is relevant to my interests.

|Dear HRH Princess Twilight Sparkle. Do you like tacos? If so what type is your favorite? I'd love to know!|

I find soft tacos to be the best. The hard ones have a tendency to crumble and then the ingredients fall out, and that’s quite impractical, especially if you’re trying to eat when reading (though you really shouldn’t be holding food over a book, but I digress).

As for filling: Usually some hay, sunflower petals, fresh lettuce and a nice sauce. Not very spicy though, I don’t care much for spicy food. I’ve been told my taste is rather bland, but I don’t know about that, I just like to taste what I’m actually eating.

On the whole, tacos are not exactly my favorite food, but they’re pretty good. Certainly a great deal better than some other food from Mexicolt, like this one dish I don’t even care to mention.

|Dear princess, How are you feeling now after Cadence and Shining Armour announced their pregnancy? Are you excited to be an aunt?|

I wouldn’t say that. I’m very happy for them, and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing my niece or nephew, but there’s still a lot of time until that happens, and it’s far too early to be excited. I don’t have the energy to be excited for that long. I might be more excited once the due date approaches.

Right now, I’m mostly trying to figure out the practical aspects, while I have time. What does even an aunt do? I’ve been told I should visit on occasion, but is that really all there is to it? Is there perhaps a book I need to read about being an aunt?

Perhaps I should start working on a comprehensive educational program, starting with fundamental skills like reading and arithmetic, which I can use to give the baby a great start in life. Foals have such a capacity to learn, and the earlier you start, the better!

I should also start compiling a list of all my favorite books, so I can plan out birthday gifts for at least the next ten years. There’s nothing quite like receiving a lovely and engaging book every birthday. Of course, I shouldn’t be giving away books only on birthdays, as I’m sure he or she will go through them rather quickly; after all, reading runs in the family!

It would be lovely experiencing somepony reading their first book, seeing the joy only literature can bring! Furthermore, there will be so many things I can teach her or him, and sharing knowledge is a wonderful thing. Not to mention I will probably learn quite a lot myself!

Perhaps I am a bit excited after all.

|Dear princess, I noticed the other day that the "Cutie Mark Crusaders" finally have their cutie marks! Do you think this means that "Twilight Time" is at an end? They were all becoming quite adept at the skills you were teaching them.|

I really don’t know. Just because they know their purpose, doesn’t mean they don’t need to know anything else. There are always things to learn, and would be a benefit to them whether or not they’re related to their special talent. Still, it is a sign that they’re growing up and coming into their own, and perhaps that means they don’t want to come learn from me anymore.

Either way, they have growing, self-discovery and learning left to do, and what’s important is that they can accomplish those goals, not who helps them. I will of course regard it an honor should they still want my help, but I won’t begrudge them seeking help elsewhere.

|Twilight, whatever happened to your balloon? Ever since you got your wings you haven't been using it. Where do you keep it, and how do you launch/land it when your castle is so... spikey.|

This is the second time I’m asked about “my balloon.” The first time it was a more hypothetical question not really related to the balloon per se, rather it was more of an example of an object. As such I didn’t really want to distract from the interesting philosophy, but since you’re asking specifically about the balloon itself I think I have to clarify something this time.

Just to be clear, while I did used to use a balloon at times, it was never my balloon. I would borrow it from Canterlot, using my relationship with Celestia. As I was essentially working for her, I had access to balloons, royal chariots and other means of transportation I might need.

Really, it’s not like most ponies just happen to have a balloon at home, especially not a student. The grant you are provided is sufficient but doesn’t really allow for that sort of thing, and besides, I always ended up spending it on books anyway.

I really don’t want ponies to get the wrong idea and start claiming “It’s Twilight Sparkle’s balloon!” every time they see it, thinking somepony’s stolen it or something. It’s just a balloon which belongs to the Equestrian administration.

|You look like neither of your parents. Your dad is blue and your mom is white. Are you adopted?|

Really? You don’t think I look a lot like my mother? Because as a filly I was often told how much alike we are, ad nauseum in fact. Sure, our colors are different, but ponies often don’t match the colors of their parents. Our cutie marks are similar in theme though, and that’s quite rare. Not to mention the mane and tail. If anything, I’d say we are more alike than the average mother and daughter pair.

Either way, no, I am not adopted. Well, to my knowledge that is; it’s not like I took samples of my parents’ genetic makeup and compared it to mine to make sure. As fun as that would be from a scientific perspective, it seems rather paranoid and invasive. Besides, I really don’t think they would keep such a thing from me now that I’m grown up.

|Hi Twilight, Do you have any plans for Nightmare Night?|

Certainly! As usual I will be spending it in Ponyville with my closest friends. Well, except Fluttershy, who regrettably never wishes to participate. Still, the other five of us will be partaking in various games and activities, as well as telling ghost stories, for which I’ve prepared by freshening up on some of the scariest ones ever written.

In customary fashion, I will of course be dressing up, though I am not sure as what yet. My talented friend Rarity is making costumes for the five of us, and she assures me mine will be a costume befitting somepony with a passion for history, so I am definitely eager to see what she comes up with!

For now, all know it is not a Star Swirl costume. I know this since I remarked it would be rather unnecessary to make one given that I already have one which is accurate down to the minute details (apart from the holes for the wings), and she assured me it is something quite different.

I do so look forward to Nightmare Night, it’s going to be so much fun! Well, presumably it will; of course one can never be entirely certain, but it’s certainly highly likely it’s going to be a lot of fun!

|Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle, do you have an advice for a unicorn that is still learning to control her powers.|

This may seem like a rather trite and generic answer, but really, you just need to study. And I don’t mean just by reading books, even though that is certainly a big part, but practice too! To learn to control your powers, you have to use them. Just do so in a controlled environment, and don’t try any potentially dangerous spells to start out with.

I remember when I was a filly, I read every book I could find on magic! But every so often, I would take a break and try some of the spells too. I didn’t do too well at first, but I never gave up. And now look at me! I suppose the moral there is that you shouldn’t be discouraged if you don’t end up succeeding right away.

Beyond that, well, get plenty of food and sleep, since any study requires a well-functioning brain, especially magic, given that performing it drains your strength. Furthermore, if you are able to enroll at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, that will do wonders for your abilities.

Oh, and of course, have fun! Magic is one of the most fascinating and wonderful things in the world!

|Hi Princess. I've notice that, in preparation for Nightmare Night festivities, some ponies are planning on dressing up as their favourite princess, including dressing up as you. How do you feel about this?|

Truth be told, I am not entirely comfortable with that. I know it’s a sign of respect and admiration, but still, it’s rather odd to dress up as an actual living pony. Historical figures like Star Swirl is another matter, but you don’t really dress up as your friends and neighbors, for example.

I just don’t want to be seen as some sort of character, almost as if I’m fictional, or too separated from everypony else that I’m just “the Princess of Friendship” and not a real pony with real feelings and thoughts anymore.

Perhaps I am overthinking it. I am fairly well-known, and ponies do dress up as celebrities at times. I have to remember that I’m just not any pony to the general public. I may not have really changed how I view myself, but how I am viewed has changed.

Either way, ponies can dress up as me if they wish; I wouldn’t want to be unappreciative towards such a gesture, especially not to the point of forbidding or vilifying it! I just think it might be awkward if we run into each other. Not that that’s very likely, I doubt there’s that many ponies wanting to dress up as me. I’m probably not a lot of ponies’ favorite princess anyway.

|Say you decided you didn't want to be a princess anymore. Would you be able to step down?|

While there are archaic laws which would allow one to abdicate, it’s not purely a legal matter. More importantly, it’s about destiny, one’s place in the world, and that isn’t something one can walk away from.

Then again, I suppose my role is to spread friendship across Equestria, and I wouldn’t necessarily have to be a princess to do so. However, some ponies still have to protect and maintain Equestria; it would be rather futile to try to spread friendship across a nation that’s no longer there.

Regardless, it’s a moot point as it is not something I would like to do. There might be things I don’t really care for which come with being a princess, such as preferential treatment or long diplomatic meetings where I’m just there for symbolic reasons, but I am still honored by the appointment, and I will not shirk away from my duties.

|Isn't it a little bit weird that people call you ''Bookhorse''?|

Oh, no, not at all. Now, I know I’ve mentioned where that nickname came from, but I don’t think I told the whole story.

As I’m sure you are aware, all ponies are horses, but all horses are not ponies. Thus at times, during diplomatic visits, it is protocol to use the word “horse” in lieu of “pony” to not appear conceited or dismissive of other equine cultures. Generally delegates don’t mind being indirectly referred to as ponies, but it is good practice not to.

In any case, during one such diplomatic conference I had spent the whole day saying horse instead of pony, so I had gotten quite used to that. So much that I kept saying it even after the conference ended.

At one point as I was heading to retire to my quarters, one of the guards announced my entering the atrium with “Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle” which, while correct as per protocol at the time, is something I am not quite comfortable with.

“You don’t need to call me that, I’m just a horse who likes books,” I stopped and told the guard. While I was still used to saying horse, I think the guard was caught, well, off guard by it.

“So shall we then call you Book Horse, your highness?” the guard responded, somewhat puzzled, to which I simply said “Just Twilight is fine.”

As I retired to my room I was pondering various things, one of which was how many times I had been referred to by lofty titles, and I felt like I was being put on a pedestal. But there was that one instance when I was called Book Horse. Well, almost.

Thinking about it, it was a silly name, but in a cute way, I thought. It was also accurate, I am a horse who likes books, so Book Horse is quite apt. Most of all though, it was a name much in contrast to royal titles, which can be associated with being unapproachable and idealized. It was a name for a somewhat silly horse who likes reading books, nopony remarkable or above anypony else.

The words we use shape our attitudes, so I’ve encouraged ponies to use it, because I feel it makes ponies not treat me with such reverence. After all, I’m just a pony like anypony else, not some high horse, and if a nickname can help communicate that then I am certainly all for it.

|Princess twilight, what is one of your favorite memories from growing up?|

One of the best events of my life was when several wonderful things happened: Not only did I get accepted into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, which in and of itself was great news and meant wonders for my studies, I was also made Celestia’s protege at the school, and I got my cutie mark! Celestia even told me she had never seen a unicorn with my magical talent before, and she’s seen a lot of unicorns!

At the time, I had been so worried that I would fail the test they had prepared for me, that I wouldn’t get to study magic, that I’d be a disappointment to my parents, so it was quite the relief that I passed. Given that, and then all the lovely surprises on top of it, it was really quite the blissful moment. I was so proud and excited that I was skipping around shouting “Yes!” over and over.

|Dear Princess Twilight, what is the worst part about being a princess?|

The worst part is knowing that no matter what I do, no matter how much I study, I will end up disappointing ponies. Ponies expect so much of me, but I am not omnipotent or omnipresent; I’m just a pony, and I’m just one pony. I will make mistakes, I will have to tell them I can’t do something, or I don’t have time. And it’s not something you ever get used to. It hurts every time.

Having to tell a parent you cannot help their sick child, or a remote village that you can’t just show up and undo all the damage after they have lost everything to a fire, those are the hardest letters I have to write. Yet at the same time, you have to try to stay positive when writing them, to give ponies hope so they may solve their own problems.

|Dear Princess Twilight, why do ponies count with a base-10 numbers system?|

Ah, the history of numbers, such a fascinating topic. And this particular question can’t be answered without detailing the origin of the ancient Unicornian numerals, which is quite interesting.

Early on, ponies would use their hooves to count, by shifting a hoof to the side for each increment. As ponies only have four hooves, it is rather hard to count particularly far using this method. In theory, one could count to four, but with three hooves out the last movement becomes quite awkward, thus ponies generally only counted to three, with one hoof remaining stationary.

At some point, somepony thought that was a bit limiting, and to extend this further, shifted one of the front hooves to join the other, creating an arrow shape. This movement and position is not at all awkward. This came to represent four.

Then, by moving the non-stationary hind leg back to its original position, another configuration was created, to represent five. This meant one could count to five using hooves, without ending up in an awkward stance, and by only moving one hoof at a time, which was quite revolutionary!

In text, these numbers would be rendered I, II, III, IV and V respectively, as a simplified visualization of the positions of legs (but only those not in their original position).

As writing numbers became more commonplace, and there was greater need to express larger numbers, only having two symbols quickly became impractical and inconsistent. Ponies would write VV or VI for six VVV, VVI or VII for seven, and representations of even greater quantities became entirely indecipherable to almost anypony but the author. As such, ancient Unicornian scholars began to develop a system using letters which expanded upon hoof counting.

What the scholars came up with was a system where, as before, I, II, III, IV and V still represented 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. It was decided that I meant 1 and V meant 5, and that a 1 before a 5 meant subtract, while a 1 after a 5 meant add.

With this new system 6, 7 and 8 became VI, VII and VIII. To avoid repetition, it was decided that, like how III became IV, the maximum number of instances of a character should be three. As such, they needed a new symbol to extend the system further. X was chosen inspired by crossed hooves, to signify 10. Thus 9 was IX, 10 being X of course, and then they didn’t need another symbol until 50. It goes on, but I think you get the idea.

While both V and X were easy to write, with only two strokes required, one may wonder why it is the base ended up being 10 and not 5. The reason is quite simple; 5 is a prime, and also too small. Often in trade, an even number was desired, so the number of goods could be split evenly among ponies, such as two friends or a couple. For many goods, a package of five was also insufficient. Thus packing ten items in boxes became quite common, and ponies could easily write an X on the side to denote quantity.

Essentially, because of the ancient Unicornian numeric system, the quantity 10 became so commonplace in pony culture that our current numeric system (which we adopted from the Saddle Arabians) became based around it!

|Dear Princess Twilight, Are there any parts of Equestria that haven't been explored yet by anypony? I feel like this could mean that there's more to the world that meets the eye.|

Well, if they aren’t explored they can’t really be part of Equestria. You can’t really stake a claim to something if you don’t even know what it is you’re claiming.

I suppose hypothetically one could make a claim on any unexplored territory, but there could be others living there for all you know, and they would have much more of a claim on the land. Just because you haven’t explored it doesn’t mean somepony else didn’t.

Furthermore, without even cursory exploration, drawing up a map of your claim would be impossible, so the claim wouldn’t be documented and thus essentially meaningless.

In either case, there’s certainly more to the world than Equestria. Some places are well known to us, some we’ve only done aerial surveys of, while others remain unexplored. And I’m sure there are many places we don’t even know exist!

Equestria itself though, is quite well mapped out. I ought to know, after all I do have one of the most detailed maps, arguably the most detailed map, in my home.

|Do you get bored from books sometimes?|

That depends on what you mean. I don’t get bored of books as an idea, books are wonderful instruments of learning and entertainment. Though that’s more abstract and conceptual.

On a more concrete everyday level, there are times when I don’t feel like reading. There’s so much to learn, and it can’t all be found in books. Books are distilled knowledge from those who came before, but to discover things nopony has discovered before requires empirical science, mathematics and other things beyond reading.

A society that dedicated all its effort to reading would certainly be highly educated, but they would do little else than maintain the status quo. Learning is important, not just for its own sake, but to make life better for everypony, and that requires adding to our knowledge.

I can also be bored of individual books. There are only so many times one can read the same book within a certain time span before it gets rather repetitive.

It’s an interesting coincidence you should ask, because lately I have been rather bored, in fact. I’ve read all the books in my library, and while I am waiting for a delivery of new ones, it’s certainly taking its time.

Part of my boredom is also that I want to get away. There are many historical sites, universities and libraries I would like to visit, but I have duties, and I can’t just keep going off on vacations. What if I’m suddenly needed for something very important? What if the map needs me to go somewhere?

No, I’ll have to stay put. I just hope my delivery gets here soon. Transportation of goods can be rather lacking at times in Ponyville. Though I hear one can get the matter expedited in exchange for a basket of muffins. I might just try that; I’m getting rather desperate here.

|Twilight, has Luna or Celestia told you how they get their manes to flow like they do?|

Well, that’s just an effect of their control over their respective heavenly bodies. Performing their duties rejuvenates them, and infuses their bodies with magic which makes them become tied to their purposes even in how they appear. It is a phenomenon known as formam officium, and is related to the magic of cutie marks (which makes images related to one’s talent appear on the flank).

Of course, it is also a choice, they could elect to not have such a mane. And there’s bound to be some more mundane mane maintenance involved, though it’s not like I spy on them in the bathroom so I don’t know what’s involved with that.

Seems like such a complex mane would be a lot of hassle to keep organized. I like keeping mine simple, just have to brush it in the morning and wash it regularly, and it’s neat and tidy!

|When you get free time, what do you generally do with it? Is there anything you do nowadays then solve friendship problems, keep friendships, be a princess, and the newsletter? I wouldn't be surprised if you said no, considering you don't exactly seem unfulfilled with just friendship in your life, just wondering.|

Oh, I do a lot of things beyond those. Mostly, I read a great many books. There’s still so much to learn! Just because I’m a princess now doesn’t mean I’m perfect, far from it! It just means I have to try even harder to be my best! It also means I have less time to read however, so I have to find ways to study more efficiently.

To be clear, I don’t read just non-fiction, which would be what is usually considered studying. However, I do think it’s important to have insight into Equestrian culture. Having more of a basis for common ground will better help me communicate.

Now, I don’t want to give you the impression I read just because I feel I must. I do love reading, and I would do it even if I didn’t feel like I needed to for anypony else’s sake. After all, I’ve always loved reading, even when I was too young to really have a concept of duty.

I suppose there’s not always such a clear delineation between work and free time, since there’s not always one between my duty and my passion. They’re often one and the same. That is after all what finding your special talent, your place in the world, is all about. And while at times your work can be tedious or wearisome, it’s still something you, on the whole, love doing.

|What is your opinion on socks? Ponies wearing socks was a major fad here for quite some time.|

I’ve never really seen the point of socks. It’s generally not cold enough indoors to justify wearing them, and if it was, you’d need to wear a lot more than just socks. Wearing them outdoors doesn’t make sense either, as it’s just going to get them all dirty. Well, unless you wear them inside boots, but if you’re going to wear boots you might as well wear just boots with a comfortable lining.

In addition to lacking any concrete practical purpose, I find socks to be rather uncomfortable, as they’re constantly pressing against your legs. This might even result in them leaving marks, and worse yet they may even be harmful as they can impede circulation.

Perhaps somewhere else, somewhere ponies can just lounge around all day and find it important to be fashionable, socks may be all the rage, but Ponyville is a town where ponies generally have work to do and most of it is outdoors. Wearing socks would be quite illogical.

|Why is it that when you banished the Ursa Major when Trixie first came to town, it looked like you were using more magic than you were when you fought Tirek?|

Now that was a long time ago! Ponies sure do keep track of a lot of details about my personal history. It’s good ponies have such good memories or do their research, though I must say it sometimes is a bit unsettling how many ponies seem to know so much about my life. Not that I’m suggesting you’ve done anything wrong, I’m just not used to all that attention, and I suppose I don’t really feel I deserve it.

In any case, what looks like using more magic to you is your subjective assessment, and I can’t really answer why that is since it is your opinion, not a factual statement. I only saw the events from my perspective and in the heat of the moment, but I would think my battle with Tirek looked like it involved more magic.

I might have more to say if could look at it like you do, but It’s hard for me to understand why things look the way they do to you; my perspective is different. As a student of magic, I know a lot about the actual magic involved and thus to me it looks like there’s more magic being used when there is more magic being used.

Now, I could understand if looked like I was exerting myself more in the former case, since it was such a long time ago, and my magic aptitude wasn’t what it is now, nor even close to the power of four alicorns. Some of the spells involved were fairly advanced, and casting them all concurrently was quite complicated. Only very few unicorns would be able to pull something like that off, so it isn’t really surprising it wasn’t easy.

Perhaps that’s it? Your notion of how much magic is being used is strictly based on how much the pony appears to be straining? If so, you have to keep in mind that aptitude varies, so a spell that’s effortless for somepony might be exhausting for somepony else, even though the magic used is the same.

Remember that Princess Celestia raises the sun each morning, effortlessly, a task which would require multiple unicorn and would eventually drain them of their magic. She may make it look easy, but it’s only because that particular magic is tied to her special talent.

|Since becoming a princess, have royal duties ever interfered with any plans with your friends, or vice versa?|

Of course. One does have finite time in a day and can only be in one place at a time. Sometimes activities are mutually exclusive and you’re forced to choose one, sometimes you can move an activity to later so you can do both, but you can still only fit so many things. It’s important to prioritize and schedule to use one’s time efficiently.

However, the different things I do aren’t as at odds as you might think. Being a good princess isn’t all about performing certain duties. Sure that is a major part of it, but I also need to dedicate time to other things to truly serve everypony.

For one, I dedicate much time to learning, primarily reading books. In part because I enjoy it, but it’s also an investment. Learning makes me a better princess, so even if it takes time away from royal duties, it’s still a logical choice in service of Equestria.

Furthermore, I can’t very well neglect my friends, as Princess of Friendship it is essential to me to maintain my friendships, especially given the connection I have with my closest friends and our connection to the Elements of Harmony. Thus, by being there for my friends, I am also being there for Equestria.

The trick is to find a good balance, to make sure nothing is neglected. There’s no simple formula since duties assigned as well as availability and needs of friends can vary greatly. But at least books are predictable; they tend to stay where you left them until you need them.

|When it comes to unicorn horns, does size matter?|

No, not in any concrete manner. A common misconception is that longer horn means greater potential for magic (on account of alicorns generally having longer horns), but there is no correlation between horn size and magic potential among conventional unicorns.

Size does matter to some ponies since a longer horn has traditionally been associated with royalty, and thus there are some who wish to have longer horns (even resorting to plaster horn extensions or fraudulent horn enlargement regimens) just to appear more regal. That sort of thing is important in certain social circles, primarily ones in Canterlot.

Really, what matters isn’t how big your horn is, but rather what you do with it. Using your magic to make the world a better place is something that’s truly admirable.

|Can you please condense your paragraphs into sentences? they are long and not worth the time of most people.|

What? No, I will certainly not!

I rarely use any words I do not feel are necessary, and I will not remove the content of a letter just to make the letter easier to read, that’s just counter-productive! I may be rather verbose, but that is who I am and this is still my newsletter.

If you do not find my writing worth your time, you are certainly welcome to not read it. There are so many other things to read which are far more important than anything I write anyway. Though perhaps all you’re looking for is just clever one-liners, if so that’s a shame, but this is certainly not the place for that.

I harbor no ill will towards anypony who chooses to not read my newsletter, nor do I mind feedback, however I do not appreciate you purporting to speak for everypony else. Frankly, the whole letter comes off as quite rude. And no, adding a “please” does not automatically make it not rude, even I know that!

|Dear Princess Twilight. I was curious as to why you don't wear certain items of clothing like the other princesses do. They wear shoes and a neck piece. Is there a specific reason you don't, or had you just never considered it?|

I don’t really have a reason to. You seem to be presuming one should wear such things, unless one has a reason not to, when surely it’s the opposite case; unless one has a reason to wear things, it doesn’t make sense to wear them.

Such items are purely ceremonial; they serve no immediate practical purpose, and I’m generally not one to bother with things which aren’t of practical use. In fact, wearing such adornments is actually impractical since they’re an encumbrance and can cause itching, chafing and so forth.

I will wear my crown to diplomatic or other official governmental functions, when ceremony is expected, much like how I will wear a dress to a formal event because it’s socially appropriate. However, for everyday purposes I’ll stick to just wearing that which is necessary, which most of the time is nothing at all.

Another aspect of it is that as ceremonial garb representing royal status, the purpose is to make a big deal out of being a princess, which is not something I desire to do. While it can be appropriate in certain official situations, I don’t want to come off as regarding myself better than everypony else, and making a big deal out of how “special” you are can make you seem quite arrogant.

Frankly, I’ve never really been comfortable with ponies being in awe of me, calling me “Your Highness” and the sort. I tolerate it, because it comes with the job, but to me being a princess just means I’m a pony with a duty to fulfill. We all have our roles.

|Don't you suppose your castle has already ruined Ponyville's quaint rural atmosphere? It used to be a nice destination for a day-trip, but now with that massive thing looming just outside of town, it's a bit less pleasant. And that's not even mentioning how many more bumbling tourists have been passing through lately, or the fact that a good pegasus friend of mine nearly fell out of the sky when your castle caught the sun just right and blinded him.|

I certainly acknowledge that it doesn’t fit in. Unfortunately I didn’t choose the castle. I didn’t even choose to have a castle! If I had I would have gone for something a lot more subtle.

As for whether it ruined the atmosphere, well, no; it’s one building that’s out of place. It mars the aesthetic of the town a bit, but there’s much more to a town’s atmosphere than how it looks. Primarily, it’s about the ponies who live there and their outlook on things.

I haven’t noticed many tourists myself. Perhaps a small increase, but hardly so many they’re crowding the town. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a few ponies from other places coming by, it’s always nice to make more friends and it’s good for the local economy.

Furthermore, if you used to come here on day trips, wouldn’t that also make you a tourist? If so, it hardly seems fair to complain about other ponies doing the same.

Really sorry to hear about your friend. I’m afraid it can’t be helped, it is a rather shiny castle. I would advise wearing sunglasses if you’re sensitive to bright lights and plan to be flying around the castle on a sunny day.

|Is there anything that you wish you could go back and redo?|

Not really. There are things I wish hadn’t happened, but there’s no telling whether going back in time to change them would make matters better. In fact, it might just make things worse. So unless there was some major disaster that had to be undone, in which case there would be little to lose from altering the past, I find it best not to tamper with it.

I mean, I might for example consider going back to prevent Tirek from destroying my library. But without the anger I felt over its destruction, anger which helped me control all the magic within me, I might have lost that battle. And then I would have doomed all of Equestria. I don’t want to be responsible for that!

Things are pretty good, all told. There’s the saying “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” that I think applies here. Slightly dented, perhaps, but still whole, to stretch the metaphor.

|If there's so much information out there about Celestia and Luna from over a thousand years ago, why isn't it more widely known? I mean, everyone thought that Nightmare Moon was a tall tale up until she appeared at the Summer Sun Celebration. Why did everypony forget about Luna?|

Obviously, ponies don’t study their history! I mean, sometimes it’s like some ponies have the mentality that since it’s in the past, it doesn’t matter; that you don’t need to know about things which already happened because you can’t affect them.

Of course, anypony with sense knows that in order to have an understanding of the future, you need to know both the present and the past. That’s just a basic scientific method: using known data points to extrapolate the data points you don’t have.

I suppose that raises the question if ponies just don’t care about the future. I mean, somepony has to, or there might not be a future. Granted, there are certain ponies who are appointed to make decisions, but it would be nice to see more ponies taking an interest in their local environment. Anyway, I’ve digressed far enough.

Beyond lack of interest, it’s also a factor that history isn’t prioritized in schools. Mostly there’s a focus on practical skills, and since ponies get their cutie mark at a rather young age, they tend to have their path cut out for them, often getting some sort of apprenticeship. Not a lot of ponies go on to higher education. At least not into academia, it’s more likely ponies go on to study in vocational schools to learn their profession.

It’s great that ponies hone their practical skills and all, and can quickly become productive members of society. I just think that’s not the only thing one should know. As a well-rounded individual, one really should have at least a basic understanding of the world one lives in. That’s part of why it’s important to read!

Do go to the library and check out a few books on Equestrian history, it’s fascinating stuff. And once you’ve read up on that, pre-Equestrian history!

| Just out of curiosity, what was the most embarrassing photo of you ever taken?|

Well, that all depends what one would consider embarrassing. That’s very subjective, and what I find embarrassing another may not. But I suppose I’ll go with what I found the most embarrassing, as that is the only answer I can give.

As I have mentioned in past issues, at times the ponyrazzi have been following me around to take pictures, ones they later sell to gossip magazines which run some sort of ludicrous story. I would rather these magazines didn’t exist, but unfortunately they avoid direct libel by phrasing things as opinions and questions, thus never actually stating anything that’s untrue.

There was one time when I was in Canterlot doing research. I had been studying all night, but I had to be ready for a diplomatic meeting and there was still much to go over that I kept at it even though I was tired, rather than just calling it quits and getting some sleep.

While I can’t know the exact time, it was probably around noon when I feel asleep, face down in a book. Now, of course I don’t suggest you sleep on books, as you may ruin them, but I was non compos mentis at that point.

It was at that time the ponyrazzi found me and look several pictures of me face down in a book, drooling. And of course, as I was asleep, I didn’t even find out about it until they published an article about it.

Oh, it was such a disgusting article. They published those pictures with the headline “PRINCESS TWILIGHT – NOT A BOOK HORSE AFTER ALL?” and the whole article was some interview with a so-called “pony on the street” who stated that, in his opinion, I was a “fake reader girl” who showed “reckless disregard for literature” and “didn’t actually care about books,” but rather it was “just an act to make myself seem smarter.”

And of course the article mentioned nothing about how when I woke and realized what I had done, I spent almost an hour cleaning up that section of the library, making sure all the books were in perfect condition, even though I was already in a hurry to make the meeting.

I was so embarrassed, humiliated and angry! And of course when I confronted them, they just stated that all they did was publish an interview with one pony’s opinion and that the were not responsible for his views and had not broken any laws. Incidentally, that “pony on the street” happened to be the editor’s brother-in-law.

While I may be the Princess of Friendship, I was certainly in the mood to do something very unfriendly at that point. However, I too must abide by laws and maintain some decorum, unless I have a very good reason that relates to the interests of Equestria, so I did not.

|Magical manipulation aside, is it possible for two ponies to share the same cutie mark? Has there ever been a case of such documented in Equestrian history?|

Visually, yes. I’ve seen plenty of ponies with the same cutie mark symbol. I recall the first time I saw that, I found it really odd. I was a filly at the time, and in a way, it reminded me of a manufacturing process where assets get reused because somepony was too lazy to make more, like when they make certain toys. Some of my toys were like that. Of course that’s not actually the case with ponies, that would be absurd, ponies aren’t mass produced in some factory after all. It was just a notion I had as a filly.

As I grew older and pondered it further, I realized there’s a logic to there being ponies with the same cutie mark symbol, since they are symbols. Symbols don’t vary much since they are meant to be simplified representations of concepts, and there are a finite number of concepts ponies are able to understand. As such, there inextricably must be a finite number of symbols.

Interestingly enough however, two ponies having the same cutie mark symbol doesn’t mean they have the exact same talent. You’d think symbols would consistently represent a certain concept, but given the degree of variety and nuances among special talents, having a different symbol for each might have been far too many for ponies to be able to process.

However, keep in mind this is referring only to the visual aspects of a cutie mark (which is what shapes ponies’ mental model of what a cutie mark is), but that is actually a very small part of the thing. Mostly it consists of magic pertaining to abstract concepts like what your purpose is and who you are. So in actuality, nopony has the same cutie mark, even if they’re visually identical.

While I did not initially interpret it that way, I do realize you might be asking if two ponies would somehow need to share the very same cutie mark, with some sort of time sharing plan or the two of them being half-talented in something. If so, no, that does not occur.

I hope I have covered the various interpretations of your question, as it can be a rather ambiguous topic. Even the word “same” is fraught with ambiguity after all, since one can never be sure whether it refers to two or more identical instances, or just the one instance.

Oh, and as an aside, it also might be worth noting that if two ponies in the same place happen to have the same cutie mark symbol, there tends to be awkwardness between them. I’m not entirely sure why, but it’s one of those odd facets of social interaction which might be good to be aware of.