Breaking the Belle

A Letter from Royalty

Dear Rarity,

I hope Ponyville is treating you well! My studies across Equestria with Spike have taken us far and wide, beyond White-Tail Woods, beyond the Smoky Mountains, and into the unexplored forestlands of the West. We’ve come across numerous isolated pony communities, each with its own unique culture that I wish to study in more detail and write about. It is the culture of our latest discovery that piques my interest the most, however, and gives me reason to write to you. Isolated from any other towns by a several hour hike, we discovered a large village, cut off from civilization by dense forest. They welcomed us in with open hooves - I’m unsure if word of my Princess status had ever reached them, or if they were just happy to have guests.

Either way, their culture quickly became a point of intrigue. From a young age, the colts and fillies of the village were put to work - though not in the conventional sense. Instead, they were put to work assisting their elders. The ways would vary from family to family - some trained their young to simply help around the home and the workplace, whilst some chose to encourage their young down more risque paths. The morals of such a thing of course concerned me, but I was also eager to try and understand their culture more. So, when they offered to help me train Spike into such a lifestyle, my curiosity for research got the better of me. Plus Spike was more than willing to try it as well, which helped me feel more confident of such matters.

For the previous few months this training has taken place, helping Spike to explore a life of dedicated assistance to me. Not just as a job, but as a lifestyle. He took to it well, though I must in confidence to you, I made note of certain shifts in his personality. Over time he became more submissive, and more eager to focus on my own wills and whims over his own. I was afraid he may be losing his individuality against his will - however, talking to both Spike and the villagers freed me of my worries. He was eager from day one of life to help me however possible, and my worries of loss of individuality are probably needless worrying - he’s just becoming more excited to help me as his training has continued.

We will likely remain with this community for another month or so before returning to Ponyville, during which time I will continue to study their culture. Their doctrine intrigues me, and I must say I think some elements of such culture can be brought into our own without disadvantage. I will certainly be writing a paper on what the locals have chosen to dub ‘Pet Culture’, though I may choose to refer to it with a perhaps less provocative name. Fortunately the relations ponies have with their offspring have always been somewhat liberal across central Equestria, but discussing a culture so contrarian to our own will likely be somewhat controversial.

I look forward to seeing you again within a month or two, as I am all of my friends, to whom I am each writing individually.

Yours,
Twilight Sparkle