From The Stories...

I would like to say I fulfilled all of my dreams and aspirations in my life, but I would be lying. While I have seen an done more than most ponies in their lifetime, I still haven't seen it all.

When I was young, I didn't want friends or to go outside. I preferred to stay inside and read about the outside world...after all, who needs experience when you have everypony else's experience? Sure most fillies are adventurous and prefer to get into sticky situations just for fun, even my older brother was like that. But not me. Not safe little Twilight Sparkle.

My life all changed when I became Celestia's personal student. While I still preferred to be cooped up and reading, The Princess thought otherwise. The first trip out of Canterlot I ever took was to the Griffon Kingdom for a diplomatic summit.  When we arrived, we were treated with the utmost hostility, Griffon guards were talking about eating ponies, and even destroying Equestria. It was just what I expected. I went out into that situation expecting the worst, expecting the world to be sad.

Indeed it was.

During my travels with the Princess, I saw the worst of the world. I saw ponies starving, I saw Zebras starving in the desert, I even saw Griffons eat each other out of pure anger. I learned that all of the terrifying things that I read about in my books were true, and it depressed me.

Celestia reassured me over and over again that the world was not as bad as I thought, but everywhere I looked I only saw despair and misery. I saw ponies who looked down on each other and couldn't sparea bit to ponies in need right in my home town, I saw ponies who stole and killed just because they could. It disgusted me and only made me shut myself off from the world even more.

Then Celestia sent me off to Ponyville, it wasn't because I liked to study, it was because I hated other ponies. She sent me on a mission to find the good in ponies, she even sent reading material with me about inherent goodness in ponies and things such as that. I read it, and I dismissed it as nothing...but in the back of my mind, I think I expected some of the world to be wonderful.

I will admit when I first met the ponies in Ponyville I thought I could see through their facades of kindness and friendliness. After all, what pony is good? I became annoyed with them the first night, especially Pinkie. Nopony should be that hyper and happy, it shouldn't even be physically possible.

Then Nightmare Moon attacked. I can't really say anything other than those ponies tagged along even thought I didn't want them to. In the end I was glad, in the end I earned and learned friendship, a very important lesson in my life. After that, we had many adventures, we had many laughs, and good times.

Not many ponies can say that they had an interesting life that completely defied their expectations, but I'm proud to say that very thing. I saw the very best of the world during those times, and the very best ponykind had to offer.

I remember when Granny Smith died, a very sad day in the Apple family. My old self would have only thought ponies to ignore such a travesty and keep to themselves. My old self was dead wrong. Ponies from all over Equestria came to Sweet Apple Acres to offer their condolences. Many even offered to take over the farm's duties while the family mourned for their loss. Such kind things, such actions. They still amaze me.

After that, I fully expected the world to be wonderful.

It was.

One time, my friends and I went on vacation to the Zebra kingdom with Zecora. The trip was magnificent, we stayed with her tribe for a full month before we reluctantly left. We saw ceremonies and traditions that were thousands of years old, performed right in front of our eyes. They were beautiful, the zebras were so nice and welcoming.

Another year we went on a good will mission to the Changeling Hive with Princess Cadence.. It was a couple of years after they invaded, at first Luna wanted to go their personally and burn the hive to the ground, but Cadence and I protested that. We heard the Changeling Queen's words, we heard of the hunger of her subjects. So we went. At first, The Changelings and their Queen were very hostile towards them, but thy weren't in any shape to fight. Their males were thin and starving, their females were a little better off but not by much. Worst of all, only 1 in 5 of their young survived hatching from their eggs. They were in no shape to argue.

Cadence, being the walking love factory she was, was able to fashion a sort of magic love tower that spread the life-giving substance throughout the hive equally. Then I, being an official diplomat of Equestria, made an agreement with Queen Chrysalis, in exchange for her cooperation, we would give her kingdom a shipment of pure unfiltered love each month. They took it and everypony won, It was a testament to the kindness that one could give.

The point i'm trying to make is, that even though I expected the world to be sad and wonderful, I never expected it t be so big. All of the information I had made the world seem so small in my head, but my exploration and lessons I learned taught me otherwise. This is a wonderful world, and a wonderful life we live. There will be sad times, and there will be those who are bad, but in the end, it's all about the journey.

--

"Grandma, can you tell us another story?" Twilight could only smile down at the little colt sitting in front of her, such a curious little thing he was. "I love your adventures!"

"I have an idea, Shiny...how about we go have an adventure of our own, then you can have some stories to tell." The little unicorn colt could only nod and smile.

Twilight decided that perhaps it wasn't the journey that mattered, but having the right ponies to share it with.