Dear Twilight Sparkle,

What did I say? Teacher's hunch. You're always wise to trust it. Especially if you are a teacher.

As the matter is officially closed, I can say some things, but not much of it, for the reason that all cases have to have a certain air of confidentiality. To keep it simple, there was a board meeting of a few certain ponies.

It's confirmed that the Two Turn Fever is back in full swing, and vaccinations must be properly distributed. Unfortunately, that's all that must be said.

I'm so proud of you, my faithful student. Now you've come so far, learned roughly one hundred and one lessons on friendship...

I suppose the one you learned yesterday was one in a hundred, hm? After all, what are the odds of both learning something and finding something? Especially if that one thing is a love only two ponies can share?

I'll release you momentarily from the obligation to write me back immediately, Twilight. I know that you feel like you have to, but honestly, it isn't necessary, not to mention I'll have my hooves entirely full the next few days, it's probably best for you to carry on.

I also haven't heard, nor seen a trace of Sapphire in a few days. Her parents haven't either, and they're worried sick. Would you mind keeping an eye out for her? I have a feeling that she's wandered somewhere in your general direction.

Princess Celestia

11-19-1001

Dear Princess Celestia,

Hey, it's Spike here. This is my first letter actually to you, and not just technically from Twilight. I'm not sure what to write, really, so I'll just start with this.

I've seen a few things lately, and they just don't make sense. For example, the other day, I was just walking along, minding my own business, and POW! A watermelon splats right in front of me! I didn't catch any sight of who did it, but I did hear giggling. And maybe a surprised yelp or two, but that's not the point. Weird watermelons falling from the sky. That's just creepy. I wonder if the little blue filly who ran by has any idea who did. Probably not, though. She was wearing a bunch of stuff that said, "I'm too important to be pranking people with watermelons!"

And Princess, can you keep a secret?

Well, I may be a little wrong, but seeing as I know what it feels like...

I think Twilight totally has a crush on Dash! No, seriously! Don't laugh yet! It was like yesterday, right? So I'm walking in the door, and what do I see? Well, I see an empty library. So I go upstairs, and yeah, there's Twilight! Rainbow's there too, and it's only when I blink before figuring out what the heck was going on, even after I'd opened my mouth to say 'hi'. Twilight jerked her head up, and started acting all embarrassed and stuff. I was going to ask what she was doing, but then I noticed the books on the floor, and shook my head. No wonder she was so flustered-the place was a mess! If I was as OCD as her, I'd understand entirely, though.

So I begin picking up the books, and here's where it gets really weird. I always check the authors so that the books are organized correctly, but on this seemingly random one, the title caught my eye.

However, all I got to see was a few words before Twilight took it back, saying she could handle it. But I did see this- 'The Beginner's Guide To Ki-'. I know that she doesn't have many books like that in the library, so it must've been a fairly new one. Most 'ki-' words are just 'kid', 'kindred', and even 'kintomperous', or some big word like that or something.

It took me a whole day of 'ki-' words ('kill', 'kick', 'kiln', 'kind', 'kitchen'...it goes on and on), and none made sense. 'The Beginners Guide to Killing'-I would hope not! Anyways, it would be a while before I found one-'kiss'. It really meant nothing, like all the other words, but something about it just begged me to look at the scene from earlier again. So I did.

Twilight jerking up and being all embarrassed, her willingness to snatch the book away from me. Oh yeah, Dash was there. Now that I remember, she wasn't exactly the most confident pony in there, either. Well, if the piece fits, slam it down! They were totally reading books together! I think that's enough, huh? Though why it would embarrass anyone is beyond me.

In any case, I'm surprised she hasn't written you in a while. And she's out a lot more often, attending to a bunch of 'important matters'. So it makes sense.

Well, there's a letter, I guess. Just kind of wrote to explain a few things.

Spike
12-05-1001

Dear Spike,

A blue filly, you say? Have you any idea where she went?

And I wouldn't worry too much about the letter issue. Twilight's getting into the world on her own, and as such, my job is more or less finished. You do have to let go of some ponies after a while, let them move on. I've done it more times than I can count, and each time seems worse. But I'm fine as long as she is.

Princess Celestia
12-06-1001

Dear Princess Celestia,

I thought it wouldn't come to this. I thought I'd done my best, and that my best was enough. I can hardly bring myself to even write this letter, but there is a reason...so I'll stick through it, no matter how much I want to cry.

It was only 3 days ago when I remembered to check on Applejack. I'd been so busy between maintaining the library, and what little order I could manage to keep in Ponyville, I'd forgotten to see if she was okay.

By the time I had this notion, it was already near sunset. But regardless, I set out for Sweet Apple Acres at a brisk pace, hoping for the best. Maybe everything's OK, I was thinking. She's probably fine.

I arrived at the exact time that the last vestiges of light were sinking from the horizon. I didn't want to be out too late, so I attempted to hurry. I walked up to the small homely shed, and knocked. The wait seemed like hours, but the door opened soon enough, but not to the face I'd wanted to see so desperately. Instead, Big Macintosh stood, peering at me inquisitively, as if asking me to go on. Applebloom stood behind him, curious as to why I was there.

I then asked if Applejack was okay.

The transformation was nearly instant. Big Mac made a few 'ix-nay on the estion-quay' gestures, but the question had been asked. It was then that I saw tears begin to well up in the little filly's eyes...

I had to bite my own tongue to keep myself from straight-out sobbing, as my question was answered by Applebloom doing the very thing I was trying to avoid. I felt incredibly awkward, and I just had to stand there, as the full realization repeatedly smacked me in the face with each slowly passing second. Macintosh reassured me that it wasn't my fault for Applebloom's behavior, since I hadn't known. But by now, I was only half-listening to anything at all. My knees were trembling, and I feared that if I spoke, my voice would creak uncontrollably.

Nevertheless, I stayed only as long as necessary to be polite, and to offer my condolences in as few words as possible. I made the journey out of the farm without a single tear, and I made it to Ponyville perfectly fine, too. By now, it was night time, and I just trekked on...numb.

The second that I shut the door behind me, is when it really began. I can't remember whether it began with a single tear or not, but soon enough, I was pretty much wailing. I sank to the ground, trying to stop the sorrowful noises coming from me, but I just couldn't. I hardly even remember the half of it.

I do remember Dash coming rushing down from upstairs, asking if I was all right. I tried to find the strength to tell her that I was, but I just couldn't. And that didn't feel right, either. Lying.

A few minutes of her asking what had gone wrong, and why I was up passed quickly. I still had yet to let up. I'd never sobbed so hard in my life.

The next few hours were a hazy blur. I don't know how long I wept, while trying to gain control of myself. I don't know how long I sought shelter underneath the gentle wing of a friend, or how long I clung to her for dear life, crying into her shoulder. I don't even have an estimate of how many gentle reassurances were muttered in an attempt to keep me calm.

I hardly remember falling asleep, nor Spike walking down the stairs in the mid-morning. I hardly found the strength to keep my eyes half open. But Dash was still next to me, gently stroking my hair. And when he got a glimpse at the scene in front of him, before raising an eyebrow at me, Rainbow told him "Leave the poor pony alone. She's had a rough night."

The look she shot to send him running...if looks could kill...

I feel horrible, Princess. Applejack...she's gone. And all because of me. One of my own friends, vanished, because of my own failure to act with enough haste. My heart's already cleaved itself into pieces, and I'm finding more reasons to blame myself with each second. If I'd just taken an extra second to look in that book...if only I'd erred on the side of caution...

Maybe Applejack would still be with us. Applejack, the most reliable and dependable of ponies, the hard-working, honest mare role-model that everypony reveres and looks up to...

Gone. Because of me.

And in the scope of things, it's worse. I've lost more than the life of another pony, more than an innocent young soul.

I've lost one of my own friends. And it's my fault.

I wrote this letter to ask you-How can I move on? The problem is, I don't want to. It feels like I'm abandoning her, in a sense. I'm sure she hated me in her last moments anyways, though, so what does it matter?

I...I can't even keep my composure. I have to stop, before I flood the library with my tears.

Your interminably distraught, but ever faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
12-11-1001

---

"Twilight..."

The unicorn slumped in front of Rainbow made no response. Her head rested gloomily on a letter that sat in front of her, as if she’d fallen asleep while writing it. The feathered quill she used so often rested off to the side, as neat as anything in the library would be found.

“Come on, Twilight...” urged the pegasus gently. “You gotta’ move on. It’s been a few days.”

Twilight Sparkle slowly raised her head, turning to face the mare behind her. The unicorn’s eyes shone with unspoken tears. Great, thought Dash. We have to do the ‘emotions’ stuff again...I can never tell if I get it right...

“Move on...?” Twilight’s voice was strangely quiet, though it wavered slightly nonetheless. “Move on?”

Here we go...

“Applejack was one of my best friends, Dash! Not only is she gone, not only did she depend on me, but I failed! And I’m supposed to just...move on?!”

“Twi’, can you just listen to me he-” the pegasus soon found her sentence abruptly cut off as the lavender mare lunged into her vision.

“NO!” Twilight exclaimed. “I will not just move on! How should I, how could I, and why should I? I failed her once, next thing you know I’ll be failing to remember her!”

If I could just get her to quit interrupting me...

“Twilight, just let me say somethin’, OK? Then you can ignore me all you want, and live in that stand-still world of yours.”

A look of uncertainty came over the unicorn’s face, before she grumbled, and flopped to the floor. “Fine. Just make it quick.”

“Right,” confirmed Dash. “Let me tell you a little story, then.”

I know what it’s like to lose friends, too.

I was nothing more than that little filly you’ve heard about-still in Flight School, dealing with bullies and having loads of fun goofing off.

But there was this one pony I knew. Her name was Sparkling Sunset. She had a mane and a disposition to match perfectly. She was always bright, and in turn, even knew how to brighten my day on those horrible ones, where I’d landed myself in a particularly bad spot of trouble. In a way, she was like Pinkie.

One day, she came to me, sniffling and red-eyed. She had a bruise under her left eye. I was young at the time, and didn’t understand the severity of what had happened. But anyways, I asked, and she told me that...

Her father had struck her.

She said it’d happened suddenly, she somehow made him angry, and WHAM! Whack in the face. I tried to get her to perk up, and tell her to stand up to him, but day after day, it would happen again and again. Even in my ignorant state, I was a little worried.

The day came when our instructor took us for a field trip down to Ghastly Gorge. It was his job to chaperone us through, and make sure none of us got hurt. Naturally, working with 20 something kids was enough. So we’re flying over the gorge, and everyone’s laughing and having a great time.

Except for Sunset.

She was lagging towards the back of the group, and she just looked positively...glum. I backed up and asked what was wrong with her. She was being even more upset than usual, and her name no longer seemed to match her attitude.

She smiled at me, and spoke.

“Dash. You’re a good friend. You probably know that.”

By now, I was a little busy swelling my chest in pride.

“You comfort me in times of pain, you make me feel better. But it’s getting to be a little much to me.”

By now, I was scratching my head.

“I can’t take this anymore. I hate being scared of my own house, and I hate taking this pain every other day. I’m leaving, Rainbow. But thank you for being there for me.”
It was only when she began to drop that I realized what the hay she was fixing to do.

The instructor noticed immediately, and corralled all of the fillies and colts to the safety of the side, including me. I yelled at him, telling him to save her, to do something. But the punk had enough courage to say this to me-”Safety of the group is more important than one pony! I can’t be in 2 places at once, anyways!”

I had enough. I flew as fast as I could past him, and towards Sunset. She was falling fast, but I was flying faster. Maybe I would make it.

I got close enough for her to speak to me, I was reaching out to grab her, when she said it.

“Don’t. I want this.”

It surprised me enough to miss the crucial grab, and I had to watch, tears in my eyes, as she plummeted down far too fast for me to catch up.

The splat that she made never quite registered with me, and I never saw it. I didn’t want to. I was crying too hard to even see, nor hear anything important. All the kids up on the side were quiet. Hoops didn’t even dare to crack a joke. I was crying for hours, and hours. I still don’t know why she did what she did, instead of, I dunno’, GETTING HELP.

But I realized something. Friends come, and friends go. They pass away. And as a friend, your duty is to be there for them when you can, and remember them with passing. You don’t need to spend half your life mourning over them. The times you spend together are all they need, and all you need. You owe it to them to move on. It’s what they would want.

Twilight just stared at Dash, mouth slightly open. Oh crud, too much?

“I...” the unicorn sniffled, averting her gaze. “I suppose you’re right...”

Thank Celestia...

“You know, I still remember her...” mumbled Dash.

The lavender mare looked up. “Who, Sparkling Sunset?”

The pegasus shuffled her hooves awkwardly. “Her too...you know, you can still remember Applejack, too. I still do. And you know what?”

“...what?”

“I think you were one of the best friends that she had.”

Dash soon found herself tackled by one of the biggest hugs she’d ever had. As the vague scent of lavender entrenched itself in her nose, she heard 9 words whispered back to her.

“And you’re the best friend that I can have.”

Aaaand cut and scene, it worked! Chalk one up for the Dash! Victory is-

Something caught her attention. “Twilight? What’s with that letter?”

The letter glowed almost instantly, and as quickly as it’d come, the aura vanished. The scroll was now blank.

“Nothing, sweetheart.”

“Twilight, don’t call me that! You know what it does!”

Rainbow felt the unicorn burrow further into her shoulder. “I know.”

“...aw, c’mere.”

In the night that now loomed over the library, the clouds slowly drifted by, on their slow lope onwards, casting shadows. An errant shadow could only be passed off as the wind, but it was so much more so.

But as the two ponies embraced, they saw no clouds, no shadows, no strange figure. How important were those things right now anyways?

For the large figure above, they mattered not, either. But a smile came to its face.

“It still warms my heart to see moments like this...I bet it’ll warm big sister’s heart, too.”