Letter 1: How Tirek Became King and My Cutie Mark
Dear fillies, at your brave request, this is how I gained my cutie mark and what set me on my journey to where I am today. There is a curse that stops me from talking about it except in writing. Once you read this, you will carry the curse, but it is a small price to pay for the ponies who aren’t here today.
“Twilight Sparkle?” the filly called.
“Sorry, I can’t talk right now,” she replied from inside her office. This was not the best time to answer students' questions about magic and friendship.
“Pleeeaaase? It’s urgent!” the filly cried in desperation.
“Fine, Dinky. I'm in a bad mood, but you’re not about to leave, are you.” Twilight rolled her eyes as the purple blank-flanked unicorn walked in. She turned around in her chair to face her student. “So, your question is?”
“Twilight, you know how the School of Magic is secret so King Tirek and Princess Cosy Glow don’t hear about it?” Dinky asked.
“Yes.”
“Why is it like that? How did the war happen and how did he take over?”
“I can’t answer that,” Twilight snapped. She didn’t mean to sound harsh, but it brought back painful memories. Plus, the curse was stopping her from sharing the truth. “No. You’re too young, Dinky. If I told you the truth at this age, you would have nightmares for life. No, bad choice of words Twilight! Dinky, it would scare you for the rest of your life, like it scares me. Why do you ask such a thing?”
“Applejack told me you were ill. That without a special friendship you lost a long time ago you would rot away. That only you know the whole story. You can’t die without telling anypony.”
“I, I, I,” Twilight stammered, “I don’t want to upset you. And I can’t just tell you and not tell the others. My best friends, the Young Six, the Cutie Mark Crusaders... They would all have to know, and it’s a complicated story to tell...”
“Then write a letter. To the School of Magic. To all of us.”
Twilight Sparkle smiled. The idea hadn't occurred to her, but had to the adopted daughter of the cross-eyed, mute, and once bullied Ditzy ‘Derpy Hooves' Doo, Dinky. She said, “That’s brilliant! I never thought of that, Dinky. You are so talented, just like your mother. The amazing thing is that you can express your ideas even more than her. The letter will be ready within a week, but I need time to remember it all. I'll see you then.” Dinky nodded to her mentor and left.
The next Monday, Twilight called all of those she thought mattered out of lessons. She led them into an empty classroom and placed a large, thick envelope on the only table.
“I didn’t want this,” she whispered, barely audible, “but it’s for the best. I will be in my office. I can’t watch this.” She left quietly, using magic to close the door.
After a silence, Rarity asked, “Who wants to read it?” Dinky's hoof shot up. Rarity used her magic to open the envelope and levitate the letter to Dinky.
“To my faithful pony friends reading this,” she read aloud, “I have trusted you with the secret of why our lives are the way they are. This letter is for Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and, most importantly, Dinky Hooves. Dinky, you are much braver than you think for even daring to ask why Tirek calls himself our leader. Now all of you must be brave and accept the answer.
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I will begin five hundred years before I was born, when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna started to drift apart. Celestia, like I am trusting you with this story, trusted me with her’s. They started drifting away from each other, but in public it seemed as though all was well, even to me, Celestia's favourite student. They never spoke of the problems that they had with each other, and this wedge between the rulers of Equestria made the land's defences weaker.
The first time I faced Tirek wasn’t pretty. This is where my five best friends will begin to remember and understand what happened. We had to use the magical chest I had gained when I became a princess. That was the only way we won. Celestia, Luna and Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire tried but failed to defeat him, but they tried. Spike, I now realise, did not help but hindered us.
Then Cosy Glow caused yet another saga. She pretended to be a happy, clever student who wanted to make friends. Inside she just wanted to rule Equestria. She became an alicorn by stealing magic from other ponies, helped by the one I thought was my friend and number one assistant. He was missing for about a week, and I learned later that he spent that week travelling to the prison that held Tirek and freeing the evil centaur. The three of them banded together. They used magic to pit us princesses against each other.
There was an argument. Celestia turned into an evil pony called Daybreaker and Luna became a beast called Nightmare Moon. They fought each other until they were both weak, and by that time Tirek, Cosy Glow, Spike and the Changeling queen Chrysalis were storming Equestria. I was unable to believe everything I saw. Hundreds of ponies laid down their lives lost their magic and are in prison and the sight of it – it made me too weak to fight. And then we lost.
So there you are. Long story short, Tirek became king and adopted Cosy Glow. They are the new rulers of Equestria. The illness that drains me and will lead me to death is called grief. Grief that so many ponies didn’t make it, that some will be imprisoned until we eventually defeat Tirek and Cosy, that there is so little magic left in Equestria. And grief that my number one assistant Spike was turned against me.
It wasn’t his fault. It was magic. When I saw him with Tirek he didn’t recognise me. I called to him, “Spike! What are you doing with Tirek?” and he replied, “Puny pony, whoever you are, I've always been with Tirek!” It was despicable. It was like he had a dark side, similar to Celestia and Luna, that was out of control. He didn’t know me or the consequences of his actions, yet most of Equestria probably hates him right now for betraying us. I know, that’s bitter, but it’s true. One day he’ll wake up and come to his senses and make up for it. I hope.
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“That is the whole story. There are other events, but they didn’t lead to this. I have included everything relevent. I can’t speak about this, and neither can you. I wish for this to be kept secret, and have placed a spell on not only myself but all of you. We can only talk to each other about it and write about it. We can’t tell others except in writing, and they can only share it through writing. I know that this is drastic, but I cannot have all the School of Magic asking me about this. I hope you understand my grief and why I couldn’t tell you. And Dinky, I have faith in you because you had the gut to ask me.
Yours sincerely, friends,
Twilight Sparkle.”
Everyone was in tears. They were quiet tears, and whimpers from Fluttershy. Even Twilight’s closest friends were not aware of everything that happened, and now they knew how Tirek took over Equestria so suddenly.
Dinky ran out of the room and burst into Twilight’s office.
“I'm so sorry,” she sobbed.
“It’s fine,” whispered Twilight Sparkle. “It’s ok, it’s fine, shh.” She let a tear fall. “I haven’t any children, but I wouldn’t with Tirek in charge. Which means that one day he shall have to fall from grace.” Twilight stroked the filly's head. “You are a unicorn. You have magic. You can do amazing things if you want to.”
“Thank you.”
“And I am an alicorn. But I am guilty. Guilty of letting what I wrote in that letter get to me. Cadance, Celestia and Luna are still alive, albeit imprisoned in one of Tirek's fortresses. I won’t let it take over. Neither should you.”
Something blazed in the unicorn filly's eyes. She said with determination, “Tirek won’t win again. Ever again. We will stop him one day.”
Her flank glowed. “Look,” said Twilight. A golden light formed a campfire that scattered dark purple shadows. It showed the contrast of yellow and purple that Dinky loved. A fire of love that banished darkness. Then a final touch appeared – the faintest, smallest little bubble like Derpy's bubbles on her flank.
“You are a warrior,” said Twilight, unable to stop herself from smiling. “Dinky Doo, you may be Dinky, but you’re a fighter and full of magic. Equestria needs more fillies like you. Set the world on fire with your cutie mark.”
And that is the beginning of my story. I will write more letters, but I have royal duties. This is all very harsh and hard to swallow, but life is hard and, if you can rise above it, it makes us who we are.
Your mentor,
Princess Dinky.
Author's Note
This will be the first of several stories that take place in an Equestria ruled by both Cadance and Twilight, with Dinky Doo as heir to the throne. Each story is a letter to her students about how she became a princess.
