Princess Dinky's Letters: Strugglingby Nature PastelChaptersAm I Still That Mare?Letter 3: Why No Filly Should Ever Run Away and Finding Princess LunaDinky's NightmareThe Cake Twins and Waterfall GreenAm I Still That Mare?Dinky felt sick. Twilight was the most horrible mare that she had ever met. She was the Princess of Friendship, but she had violated all of the laws of friendship. She had been dishonest, cruel, greedy, disloyal and downright mean. She did not deserve the spark, the element of magic. She did not deserve to be the one who controlled the Elements of Harmony. Yet, in another way, she did. The Shadow Pony was Twilight's demon counterpart. Or was it? No. It was. It had to be. Dinky read and reread the letter that her students had written to her. They were right, in a way; it would be good for her soul to tell somepony, and, due to the Carrying Curse, they would not tell anypony. She had her own secrets that it would be an embarrassment to tell the whole of Equestria about. She could sort of understand why Twilight hated the idea of everypony finding out that she was the Shadow Pony. She would be branded Equestria's biggest hypocrite and ponies would march on Canterlot Castle, yelling for her to give up the throne. In a way, that might not be as bad a sit sounds. Celestia and Luna probably would not want to be dragged out of retirement, but maybe Dinky could rule with her mother, side by side, like Prince Shining Armour, Princess Cadance and Princess Flurry Heart in the Crystal Empire. But no, that was ludicrous. Ditzy Doo just wanted to be a normal pony. She didn't want to be a princess. She didn't mind being an alicorn, as that meant having magic and a long flowing mane and tail, but she wasn't suited to running a business, let alone ruling the kingdom. She read the letter from her students again. She could talk to them in person because they didn't live that far away, but only about what she had already shared. She would have to send another letter. She felt something twist in her stomach as she realised that Rememberance Day was only a few weeks away. On that day, she would be expected to talk about the past, to make a speech about it. She couldn't. She just couldn't. As she wrote, she thought about the events in these letters. Was she still that filly who had fled the tyranny of Tirek and Cosy? Was she still that dinky little mare? Was she the same pony who had struggled to stay alive while she searched for a way to free the land? No. She had learned a lot since then. Still, the letter became stained with tears for the lack of innocence in the world, and bitter feelings towards her former mentor and friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle. When it was finished, she realised just how much of a wreck she was becoming. She had shed so many tears over what had happened. Why, though? Why? It was a simple question that required a long and complicated answer. Why? It was because there were no ponies other than Twilight that knew the whole truth, so there were no other ponies to talk to. That was why these letters were so important. They more ponies that knew about this, the less of a burden the secret is for those who know. If only there was a counter-spell for the Carrying Curse... It came to her then. That was what she had to do. If she could work out a counter-spell in the four weeks until Rememberance Day, she could tell everypony the whole entire truth. Otherwise, it would be too much to bottle up, and Dinky was close to losing it. She had to let somepony know what was going through her mind. It was the only way to untie the knot in her stomach that was twisting and making her ache both physically and emotionally. Letter 3: Why No Filly Should Ever Run Away and Finding Princess LunaDear Fillies, This is the third letter about my past and the things that I had to do to free Equestria. From that day, I was an outcast. I had to hide in the Everfree Forest to make sure that nopony found me. On those few occasions when I crept into Ponyville to talk to Twilight's friends, I saw wanted posters with a picture of me on them. It had my cutie mark and told other ponies that I was an alicorn and could hide my wings. One fateful day, about two weeks after Mummy was captured, I caught a glimpse of a new alicorn. Her coat was dark purple, and her armour was almost black. Her eyes glowed red. She was the Shadow Pony. She saw me. Just once, when I was hiding in the barn on Sweet Apple Acres. I must have stood out like a sore thumb; a blank-flanked lavender unicorn in amongst all those Earth Ponies with coats of various shades of red, orange, yellow and green. She tore into that barn and tried to find me, but I teleported away before she could find me. It was a huge blow, knowing that there was a second alicorn on Tirek's side. I knew from that moment that I would need to find alicorns to defeat alicorns. Currently, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were stuck in the forms of their Nightmare Ponies, Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon. I knew it would take some powerful magic to get them back, but I had an idea: using the magic of family. Celestia probably had no idea that her sister had had a daughter, but Luna could come back if I told her that I was her granddaughter, even if that was only through adoption. Or was it? I had to be related by blood if I was an alicorn. (I found it later that I was right.) It had to work. It was reckless, but it was the only plan I had. Living rough was terrible. It had to be done, but I could hardly waltz into Ponyville with the Shadow Pony on the prowl. I had to eat the unrefined grass in the forest and sleep under or in trees. I had some idea of where to find the Two Sisters: they were probably imprisoned in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Somewhere in the Everfree Forest, I would find it. It took two weeks for my little legs and wings to carry me the entire journey. It was exhausting for a filly to travel that far into the Forest. Eventually, though, I found it. I flew across the canyon separating it from Everfree Forest,, concealed my wings and walked into the throne room. Everything was covered in thick dust. Nopony had visited the Royal Sisters for years. Only their hoofprints, followed by heavy chains, had kept the dust away in places. The once beautiful stained glass windows were faded and covered in grime. "Luna?" I called. I heard my voice echo and fade into the nothingness.Luna? Luna? Luna? Luna? "She's not here," I heard a voice say. The owner of the voice materialised from behind the two thrones. Nightmare Moon. "Nightmare Moon, I come in peace." "Oh, peace? More likely to finally end my suffering." "No. I am serious. You are technically Princess Luna, aren't you? You share her memories, right?" "Luna is a stain on me, but yes, we share each other's memories." "Then you know about Princess Luna's daughter." "Yes dear child. Scram before these rusty chains break and I tear you to pieces." "Ditzy Doo had a daughter. Me." "How should I know that you aren't lying?" Uncover, I thought. My purple wings appeared. I said to her, "I am an alicorn. My mother, your daughter, taught me a spell that allows you to hide anything. Including your wings or horn. She pretended to be a pegasus." Something in Nightmare Moon's eyes changed. There was a... A spark in those cat-like eyes. I could tell that Luna was trying to gain control again. After several years, I could see that she was having trouble. "No, I am in charge now, you worthless thing..." A bright light surrounded Nightmare Moon and I squinted. I could see her removing her armour. Her wings changed and resembled mine. The light disappeared and her coat became slightly lighter. Finally, her pupils dilated and her irises changed to a darker blue. Princess Luna was back. "No. I am worth so much more than you, Nightmare Moon," she said aloud. She turned to me. "It's Dinky, isn't it? You're related to me by blood. The whole story about you being adopted was a lie to protect you and your mother." "Princess Luna-" "Call me Grandma." "Okay. Grandma, Mummy's in trouble. After you became Nightmare Moon and Celestia became Daybreaker, Tirek took over Equestria and declared himself King. He adopted Cosy Glow. For about five years, we've been in trouble. Twilight has gone missing, and Mummy was captured. There's a new pony who appears to be a shadow brought to life. She's on Tirek's side. We're in deep, deep trouble." "Wow," was all she could say. "We are." "How do we get Princess Celestia back?" "Your cutie mark. Fire and shadows, with a bubble to show family. You're destiny... Is to unite Equestria. You can do this. The shadows represent me. The fire represents my sister. We are family. We have to be together." This was how I met my grandmother Princess Luna, and how the rebellion started. I feel that you know lots about the rebellion from school, but in my next letter, I will tell you about what sparked it and how it grew. You are right. This is a difficult subject to talk and write about. However, it is a subject that needs to be dealt with, otherwise those who died both while Tirek was in charge and during the rebellion would have sacrificed themselves for nothing. Thank you, sweet foals, for asking me to do this. Yours sincerely, Princess Dinky. Dinky's NightmareDarkness. Ponies in cloaks trotting in the shadows, unseen despite the full moon in the sky. Dinky, Luna and Celestia had organised the event. If they were lucky, Cosy Glow would be gone by the end of this. If they were really badly unlucky, Cosy would increase the cruel anti-magic measures on ponies across Equestria. They knew that she had a Staff of Sameness in her arsenal and was still in possession of the Bewitching Bell, but she could easily have other weapons. Dinky hid in the shadows, with the other ponies. She had waited for weeks to do this. It had been a year since Luna and Celestia had been freed. This would be their first large-scale battle. She hoped that it would work. If it didn't, the whole of Equestria would have to pay for their actions. Thankfully, there were dragons causing some trouble in Manehattan, so hopefully Cosy would be alone on her nightly patrol. There was a yell as Cosy Glow was hit with a spell. She stood still for a moment and her horn lit up. She could see all of the ponies. They shouted their war cry - "For Equestria!" - and charged from all angles. Cosy was kicked, bitten, blasted into the air and pushed back down. She fought valiantly, but she was one pony against a hundred. Her back legs and wings were tied with chains that contained her magical power. She struggled, but could not escape. It was done. Finished within minutes. Almost too easy... The real Cosy Glow flew just a metre above the ground and held the Bewitching Bell in her mouth. She stole the magic of every pony who came near her. With her magic she held and threw knives and the powerless ponies. Still, the rebels fought. A shadow fell across them. The Shadow Pony had arrived to join in the fun. Dinky bolted away from the battle. The Shadow Pony could melt a pony like wax or make their heart burst just by staring at them. She pulled a pegasus' mane to warn them of the new threat, and threw a young colt on her back. He held her neck as they rose into the sky. At least she had tried to save somepony. She hissed as a knife clipped her right wing and she tumbled into the Everfree Forest. Thankfully, the colt was uninjured. She motioned for him to run one way and her to run in a different direction. He disappeared amongst the trees. She travelled due north. The Shadow Pony materialised in front of her. Dinky tripped and fell. She tried to shuffle away, but she hit a tree. It was pointless. The Shadow Pony threw another knife into her head, then stared at her. She felt the power of those blood red eyes and screamed... Dinky bolted up in bed. She had just had a nightmare about the night that she died, was carried to a warehouse in the middle of the Everfree Forest and was brought back to life again while conscious. The heart that now beated so fast in her chest had burst when the Shadow Pony had used her dark magic, and some amazing but terrifying doctor had sewn it back together. An enchantment in the warehouse meant that he was the only living pony able to enter, and that all dead ponies remained conscious. It had been an ugly night. That was why Princess Dinky was terrified of the upcoming Rememberance Day, and of the inquisitive foals who were going to end up in the same state as her: crying every night over the things that had been done. Her own friend and mentor had murdered her. That was part of the reason that she resented Twilight. She had been murdered and had to watch some maniac give her an autopsy and sew the tissues of her heart together. She shivered and tried not to throw up. The memories disgusted her. She had to stay strong, to help other ponies get through Rememberance Day, even though she was one of the ones who remembered the atrocities the best. Something had to be done. The Cake Twins and Waterfall GreenPumpkin Cake was in tears. She, her twin brother Pound Cake and their friend Lily Waterfall had read Princess Dinky's letter, and it was far more upsetting than the first one. It had been a few days now and Pumpkin was still upset. The thought of Twilight Sparkle, of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, being that cruel... No. It was impossible. It was almost impossible, except, except, except it had happened. Somehow, that wonderful, gentle, loving alicorn who ruled with friendship and hated tyranny had become a tyrant herself. Whenever her parents asked why she was upset, she could not say a word. Her lips would be sealed shut by magic and no sound could escape them. She would just shake her head, and Pound Cake would lie swiftly and say that she was just feeling down and didn't want to discuss it. "You know, you can always talk to us," Mr. Cake would say. He worried deeply about Pumpkin's mental health because she had a vitamin D deficiency. "Yes," Pumpkin would lie. The Carrying Curse that Twilight had cast meant that there was only one way to tell other ponies the protected secret: through writing. Of course, their parents didn't know this. After four days, however, Pumpkin realised that crying was pointless if there were only three other ponies that she could speak to about this, not including Princess Twilight Sparkle. She knew that she had to speak to her mentor, Dinky, though, even if that was only through writing. "Psst! Pound!" she hissed one morning from her bed. Pound Cake rolled over in his bed and groaned quietly, "What is it Pumpkin?! The monster under the wardrobe doesn't exist. Get back to sleep." "I want to write to Princess Dinky about..." Her lips were sealed shut. Their parents were getting up. They were outside the bedroom, close enough to hear. Pound sat up and nodded. The safest place to go would be Lily's home. After breakfast, the Cake Twins raced along the side of the lake and went into the Everfree Forest for a while. Lily Waterfall may have been a filly, but she chose to live alone. She had been turned into a statue for over a hundred years and had only been freed a year ago. The Cake Twins had become friends with her almost from the moment they met her. She had realised that she had no living relatives, and that her parents could never be replaced, so she lived in a cave in a cliff face, surrounded by the woodland. There was a waterfall at this cliff face, which she enjoyed watching. When the twins reached Lily's home, she let them in, knowing by the looks on their faces that they wanted to talk about the letters. They had both of Dinky's letters here, and a copy of the reply to the first letter. "So," said Lily quietly, "I'm guessing that you want to send a reply." Pumpkin nodded. "I fell that we need to. I've spent four days crying and now I want to talk about it. You two, Princess Dinky and Princess Twilight are practically the only ponies that I can say anything to. I'm sick of Mum and Dad giving me that resigned look of sadness. They think that my vitamin D deficiency is making me a bit sensitive. Maybe it is. What do you think?" "No. It's not your deficiency, although sitting in the sun would help a bit. It's a perfectly normal reaction to some shocking news. You've cried about it, and that's what some ponies do. Pound sulks." "No I don't!" Pound snapped. "You do," said Pumpkin, giggling. "Exactly," continued Lily, ignoring the glares that Pound Cake was giving her. "Your reaction is to stay on your own and shed a few tears while the news sinks in, then talk about it a few days later. Pound's reaction is to sulk, but he will never cry. My reaction is to get angry. All three of those are perfectly normal for ponies. Most ponies, though, eventually feel the need to share their feelings with others. I think we all need to write back to Princess Dinky." Lily made her way to the back of the cave, where a torch in a metal bracket burned. She opened a small chest and used her unicorn magic to pull out some lined paper, a quill and a pot of blue ink. Still carrying the items from the chest, she walked back to the mouth of the cave where the twins were sat. They drafted a letter, then wrote it out properly and sealed it. They walked back to Ponyville in silence, thinking about what other atrocities committed during the rebellion the rest of Equestria were not aware of. When they reached the nearest mailbox, Derpy Hooves was there. She was an alicorn, but had refused to be a princess, saying that she had been treated like any other member of the community her whole life and did not want to be treated like royalty, even if she was. The only special treatment she had received was a new surgery to stop her eyes from drifting to the sides for less money than normal, and the abolition of the nickname "Derpy Hooves." She was now referred to by her actual name, Ditzy Doo. She was still just a pegasus mare who worked for the mail service. "Hey Ditzy, for your daughter," said Lily as they approached her. She smiled, said a quiet, "Thank you," put the letter in her satchel and flew off in the direction of the hidden Ponyville Castle. The three young ponies returned to their homes, thinking about what they had written. Dear Princess Dinky, We are writing to you because we have read your recent letter and wish to speak to you about it, even if that is only through writing. We have all accepted what that letter said about your friend, although there were a few tears along the way. However, we would still like to know the whole story. We have been taught at school about the conditions that ponies had to live in. We know what you have told us so far. However, we do not know about the other events that led to Equestria's freedom. It is fine if you do not want to tell us about it, because sometimes the past is too painful to think about. However, if you do want to talk to somepony, we are here. Your three faithful students, Pumpkin Cake, Pound Cake and Lily Waterfall.
Am I Still That Mare?Dinky felt sick. Twilight was the most horrible mare that she had ever met. She was the Princess of Friendship, but she had violated all of the laws of friendship. She had been dishonest, cruel, greedy, disloyal and downright mean. She did not deserve the spark, the element of magic. She did not deserve to be the one who controlled the Elements of Harmony. Yet, in another way, she did. The Shadow Pony was Twilight's demon counterpart. Or was it? No. It was. It had to be. Dinky read and reread the letter that her students had written to her. They were right, in a way; it would be good for her soul to tell somepony, and, due to the Carrying Curse, they would not tell anypony. She had her own secrets that it would be an embarrassment to tell the whole of Equestria about. She could sort of understand why Twilight hated the idea of everypony finding out that she was the Shadow Pony. She would be branded Equestria's biggest hypocrite and ponies would march on Canterlot Castle, yelling for her to give up the throne. In a way, that might not be as bad a sit sounds. Celestia and Luna probably would not want to be dragged out of retirement, but maybe Dinky could rule with her mother, side by side, like Prince Shining Armour, Princess Cadance and Princess Flurry Heart in the Crystal Empire. But no, that was ludicrous. Ditzy Doo just wanted to be a normal pony. She didn't want to be a princess. She didn't mind being an alicorn, as that meant having magic and a long flowing mane and tail, but she wasn't suited to running a business, let alone ruling the kingdom. She read the letter from her students again. She could talk to them in person because they didn't live that far away, but only about what she had already shared. She would have to send another letter. She felt something twist in her stomach as she realised that Rememberance Day was only a few weeks away. On that day, she would be expected to talk about the past, to make a speech about it. She couldn't. She just couldn't. As she wrote, she thought about the events in these letters. Was she still that filly who had fled the tyranny of Tirek and Cosy? Was she still that dinky little mare? Was she the same pony who had struggled to stay alive while she searched for a way to free the land? No. She had learned a lot since then. Still, the letter became stained with tears for the lack of innocence in the world, and bitter feelings towards her former mentor and friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle. When it was finished, she realised just how much of a wreck she was becoming. She had shed so many tears over what had happened. Why, though? Why? It was a simple question that required a long and complicated answer. Why? It was because there were no ponies other than Twilight that knew the whole truth, so there were no other ponies to talk to. That was why these letters were so important. They more ponies that knew about this, the less of a burden the secret is for those who know. If only there was a counter-spell for the Carrying Curse... It came to her then. That was what she had to do. If she could work out a counter-spell in the four weeks until Rememberance Day, she could tell everypony the whole entire truth. Otherwise, it would be too much to bottle up, and Dinky was close to losing it. She had to let somepony know what was going through her mind. It was the only way to untie the knot in her stomach that was twisting and making her ache both physically and emotionally.
Letter 3: Why No Filly Should Ever Run Away and Finding Princess LunaDear Fillies, This is the third letter about my past and the things that I had to do to free Equestria. From that day, I was an outcast. I had to hide in the Everfree Forest to make sure that nopony found me. On those few occasions when I crept into Ponyville to talk to Twilight's friends, I saw wanted posters with a picture of me on them. It had my cutie mark and told other ponies that I was an alicorn and could hide my wings. One fateful day, about two weeks after Mummy was captured, I caught a glimpse of a new alicorn. Her coat was dark purple, and her armour was almost black. Her eyes glowed red. She was the Shadow Pony. She saw me. Just once, when I was hiding in the barn on Sweet Apple Acres. I must have stood out like a sore thumb; a blank-flanked lavender unicorn in amongst all those Earth Ponies with coats of various shades of red, orange, yellow and green. She tore into that barn and tried to find me, but I teleported away before she could find me. It was a huge blow, knowing that there was a second alicorn on Tirek's side. I knew from that moment that I would need to find alicorns to defeat alicorns. Currently, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were stuck in the forms of their Nightmare Ponies, Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon. I knew it would take some powerful magic to get them back, but I had an idea: using the magic of family. Celestia probably had no idea that her sister had had a daughter, but Luna could come back if I told her that I was her granddaughter, even if that was only through adoption. Or was it? I had to be related by blood if I was an alicorn. (I found it later that I was right.) It had to work. It was reckless, but it was the only plan I had. Living rough was terrible. It had to be done, but I could hardly waltz into Ponyville with the Shadow Pony on the prowl. I had to eat the unrefined grass in the forest and sleep under or in trees. I had some idea of where to find the Two Sisters: they were probably imprisoned in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Somewhere in the Everfree Forest, I would find it. It took two weeks for my little legs and wings to carry me the entire journey. It was exhausting for a filly to travel that far into the Forest. Eventually, though, I found it. I flew across the canyon separating it from Everfree Forest,, concealed my wings and walked into the throne room. Everything was covered in thick dust. Nopony had visited the Royal Sisters for years. Only their hoofprints, followed by heavy chains, had kept the dust away in places. The once beautiful stained glass windows were faded and covered in grime. "Luna?" I called. I heard my voice echo and fade into the nothingness.Luna? Luna? Luna? Luna? "She's not here," I heard a voice say. The owner of the voice materialised from behind the two thrones. Nightmare Moon. "Nightmare Moon, I come in peace." "Oh, peace? More likely to finally end my suffering." "No. I am serious. You are technically Princess Luna, aren't you? You share her memories, right?" "Luna is a stain on me, but yes, we share each other's memories." "Then you know about Princess Luna's daughter." "Yes dear child. Scram before these rusty chains break and I tear you to pieces." "Ditzy Doo had a daughter. Me." "How should I know that you aren't lying?" Uncover, I thought. My purple wings appeared. I said to her, "I am an alicorn. My mother, your daughter, taught me a spell that allows you to hide anything. Including your wings or horn. She pretended to be a pegasus." Something in Nightmare Moon's eyes changed. There was a... A spark in those cat-like eyes. I could tell that Luna was trying to gain control again. After several years, I could see that she was having trouble. "No, I am in charge now, you worthless thing..." A bright light surrounded Nightmare Moon and I squinted. I could see her removing her armour. Her wings changed and resembled mine. The light disappeared and her coat became slightly lighter. Finally, her pupils dilated and her irises changed to a darker blue. Princess Luna was back. "No. I am worth so much more than you, Nightmare Moon," she said aloud. She turned to me. "It's Dinky, isn't it? You're related to me by blood. The whole story about you being adopted was a lie to protect you and your mother." "Princess Luna-" "Call me Grandma." "Okay. Grandma, Mummy's in trouble. After you became Nightmare Moon and Celestia became Daybreaker, Tirek took over Equestria and declared himself King. He adopted Cosy Glow. For about five years, we've been in trouble. Twilight has gone missing, and Mummy was captured. There's a new pony who appears to be a shadow brought to life. She's on Tirek's side. We're in deep, deep trouble." "Wow," was all she could say. "We are." "How do we get Princess Celestia back?" "Your cutie mark. Fire and shadows, with a bubble to show family. You're destiny... Is to unite Equestria. You can do this. The shadows represent me. The fire represents my sister. We are family. We have to be together." This was how I met my grandmother Princess Luna, and how the rebellion started. I feel that you know lots about the rebellion from school, but in my next letter, I will tell you about what sparked it and how it grew. You are right. This is a difficult subject to talk and write about. However, it is a subject that needs to be dealt with, otherwise those who died both while Tirek was in charge and during the rebellion would have sacrificed themselves for nothing. Thank you, sweet foals, for asking me to do this. Yours sincerely, Princess Dinky.
Dinky's NightmareDarkness. Ponies in cloaks trotting in the shadows, unseen despite the full moon in the sky. Dinky, Luna and Celestia had organised the event. If they were lucky, Cosy Glow would be gone by the end of this. If they were really badly unlucky, Cosy would increase the cruel anti-magic measures on ponies across Equestria. They knew that she had a Staff of Sameness in her arsenal and was still in possession of the Bewitching Bell, but she could easily have other weapons. Dinky hid in the shadows, with the other ponies. She had waited for weeks to do this. It had been a year since Luna and Celestia had been freed. This would be their first large-scale battle. She hoped that it would work. If it didn't, the whole of Equestria would have to pay for their actions. Thankfully, there were dragons causing some trouble in Manehattan, so hopefully Cosy would be alone on her nightly patrol. There was a yell as Cosy Glow was hit with a spell. She stood still for a moment and her horn lit up. She could see all of the ponies. They shouted their war cry - "For Equestria!" - and charged from all angles. Cosy was kicked, bitten, blasted into the air and pushed back down. She fought valiantly, but she was one pony against a hundred. Her back legs and wings were tied with chains that contained her magical power. She struggled, but could not escape. It was done. Finished within minutes. Almost too easy... The real Cosy Glow flew just a metre above the ground and held the Bewitching Bell in her mouth. She stole the magic of every pony who came near her. With her magic she held and threw knives and the powerless ponies. Still, the rebels fought. A shadow fell across them. The Shadow Pony had arrived to join in the fun. Dinky bolted away from the battle. The Shadow Pony could melt a pony like wax or make their heart burst just by staring at them. She pulled a pegasus' mane to warn them of the new threat, and threw a young colt on her back. He held her neck as they rose into the sky. At least she had tried to save somepony. She hissed as a knife clipped her right wing and she tumbled into the Everfree Forest. Thankfully, the colt was uninjured. She motioned for him to run one way and her to run in a different direction. He disappeared amongst the trees. She travelled due north. The Shadow Pony materialised in front of her. Dinky tripped and fell. She tried to shuffle away, but she hit a tree. It was pointless. The Shadow Pony threw another knife into her head, then stared at her. She felt the power of those blood red eyes and screamed... Dinky bolted up in bed. She had just had a nightmare about the night that she died, was carried to a warehouse in the middle of the Everfree Forest and was brought back to life again while conscious. The heart that now beated so fast in her chest had burst when the Shadow Pony had used her dark magic, and some amazing but terrifying doctor had sewn it back together. An enchantment in the warehouse meant that he was the only living pony able to enter, and that all dead ponies remained conscious. It had been an ugly night. That was why Princess Dinky was terrified of the upcoming Rememberance Day, and of the inquisitive foals who were going to end up in the same state as her: crying every night over the things that had been done. Her own friend and mentor had murdered her. That was part of the reason that she resented Twilight. She had been murdered and had to watch some maniac give her an autopsy and sew the tissues of her heart together. She shivered and tried not to throw up. The memories disgusted her. She had to stay strong, to help other ponies get through Rememberance Day, even though she was one of the ones who remembered the atrocities the best. Something had to be done.
The Cake Twins and Waterfall GreenPumpkin Cake was in tears. She, her twin brother Pound Cake and their friend Lily Waterfall had read Princess Dinky's letter, and it was far more upsetting than the first one. It had been a few days now and Pumpkin was still upset. The thought of Twilight Sparkle, of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, being that cruel... No. It was impossible. It was almost impossible, except, except, except it had happened. Somehow, that wonderful, gentle, loving alicorn who ruled with friendship and hated tyranny had become a tyrant herself. Whenever her parents asked why she was upset, she could not say a word. Her lips would be sealed shut by magic and no sound could escape them. She would just shake her head, and Pound Cake would lie swiftly and say that she was just feeling down and didn't want to discuss it. "You know, you can always talk to us," Mr. Cake would say. He worried deeply about Pumpkin's mental health because she had a vitamin D deficiency. "Yes," Pumpkin would lie. The Carrying Curse that Twilight had cast meant that there was only one way to tell other ponies the protected secret: through writing. Of course, their parents didn't know this. After four days, however, Pumpkin realised that crying was pointless if there were only three other ponies that she could speak to about this, not including Princess Twilight Sparkle. She knew that she had to speak to her mentor, Dinky, though, even if that was only through writing. "Psst! Pound!" she hissed one morning from her bed. Pound Cake rolled over in his bed and groaned quietly, "What is it Pumpkin?! The monster under the wardrobe doesn't exist. Get back to sleep." "I want to write to Princess Dinky about..." Her lips were sealed shut. Their parents were getting up. They were outside the bedroom, close enough to hear. Pound sat up and nodded. The safest place to go would be Lily's home. After breakfast, the Cake Twins raced along the side of the lake and went into the Everfree Forest for a while. Lily Waterfall may have been a filly, but she chose to live alone. She had been turned into a statue for over a hundred years and had only been freed a year ago. The Cake Twins had become friends with her almost from the moment they met her. She had realised that she had no living relatives, and that her parents could never be replaced, so she lived in a cave in a cliff face, surrounded by the woodland. There was a waterfall at this cliff face, which she enjoyed watching. When the twins reached Lily's home, she let them in, knowing by the looks on their faces that they wanted to talk about the letters. They had both of Dinky's letters here, and a copy of the reply to the first letter. "So," said Lily quietly, "I'm guessing that you want to send a reply." Pumpkin nodded. "I fell that we need to. I've spent four days crying and now I want to talk about it. You two, Princess Dinky and Princess Twilight are practically the only ponies that I can say anything to. I'm sick of Mum and Dad giving me that resigned look of sadness. They think that my vitamin D deficiency is making me a bit sensitive. Maybe it is. What do you think?" "No. It's not your deficiency, although sitting in the sun would help a bit. It's a perfectly normal reaction to some shocking news. You've cried about it, and that's what some ponies do. Pound sulks." "No I don't!" Pound snapped. "You do," said Pumpkin, giggling. "Exactly," continued Lily, ignoring the glares that Pound Cake was giving her. "Your reaction is to stay on your own and shed a few tears while the news sinks in, then talk about it a few days later. Pound's reaction is to sulk, but he will never cry. My reaction is to get angry. All three of those are perfectly normal for ponies. Most ponies, though, eventually feel the need to share their feelings with others. I think we all need to write back to Princess Dinky." Lily made her way to the back of the cave, where a torch in a metal bracket burned. She opened a small chest and used her unicorn magic to pull out some lined paper, a quill and a pot of blue ink. Still carrying the items from the chest, she walked back to the mouth of the cave where the twins were sat. They drafted a letter, then wrote it out properly and sealed it. They walked back to Ponyville in silence, thinking about what other atrocities committed during the rebellion the rest of Equestria were not aware of. When they reached the nearest mailbox, Derpy Hooves was there. She was an alicorn, but had refused to be a princess, saying that she had been treated like any other member of the community her whole life and did not want to be treated like royalty, even if she was. The only special treatment she had received was a new surgery to stop her eyes from drifting to the sides for less money than normal, and the abolition of the nickname "Derpy Hooves." She was now referred to by her actual name, Ditzy Doo. She was still just a pegasus mare who worked for the mail service. "Hey Ditzy, for your daughter," said Lily as they approached her. She smiled, said a quiet, "Thank you," put the letter in her satchel and flew off in the direction of the hidden Ponyville Castle. The three young ponies returned to their homes, thinking about what they had written. Dear Princess Dinky, We are writing to you because we have read your recent letter and wish to speak to you about it, even if that is only through writing. We have all accepted what that letter said about your friend, although there were a few tears along the way. However, we would still like to know the whole story. We have been taught at school about the conditions that ponies had to live in. We know what you have told us so far. However, we do not know about the other events that led to Equestria's freedom. It is fine if you do not want to tell us about it, because sometimes the past is too painful to think about. However, if you do want to talk to somepony, we are here. Your three faithful students, Pumpkin Cake, Pound Cake and Lily Waterfall.
