Dear Sunburst,

Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU so much for what you did for Princess Twilight and Captain Dash!

They're a lot happier now than they were before. Princess Twilight laughs all the time. Captain Dash smiles at her when she does. They never used to do that. They're so happy now that they told the whole world they love each other - they told their old friends from the town they lived in before, and the newspaper reporters, and the other princesses, and everything. And a few ponies said they didn't like it at first, but guess what? You were right, it's not a big deal. It turns out a princess can be a fillyfooler and it's okay!

When I asked them what changed to make this happen, they told me that you helped them see things the way they really are. Captain Dash said you gave her a kick in the flank that she couldn't give herself because when she saw the flowers you left and read your note, she realized that if it was so easy for somepony else to see, it was time to just give up and stop pretending not to feel like she does. She gave Princess Twilight those roses that night and told her everything about how much she liked her, and Princess Twilight felt the same way. Then they kissed. I'm not too sure what's so great about kissing, but it seems to make them very very happy. I guess it's a grown-up thing.

Captain Dash said she'd been waiting so many years for that kiss, and she thought it would never happen, but now they can because of you. I think you're the best guard ever. You really did just what Princess Twilight needed to save her from being sad and lonely when nopony else could.

She said she felt like she'd been dying slowly for a long time, but now she feels alive again. I think you saved her life in a kind of way.

Do you think you'll ever come back and be a guard at the palace again? I hope you will someday. If you ask the princess I bet she can get them to give you the orders for it.

You should, because it would be awesome to see you again. That's what Captain Dash would say - awesome. I sometimes think she likes that word almost as much as she likes Princess Twilight.

I have to go to class soon, but I'll write you another letter later. I hope you write back. Bye!

Your friend,
Azure Sky

PS., I am NOT staying up too late reading!

Author's Notes:

Afterword:

Well, it's done, and I couldn't be more pleased with how the process of writing this story went.

After the multiple-months long tortuous ordeals that Scent of Roses and Born in Equestria proved to be, writing this story flew by at what was an incredible pace to me - most chapters were substantially written in about a day, then took a few days more for revision and cleanup to be in shape for publishing.

It's amazing how much you can get done when you actually feel good about yourself instead of being depressed and drained all the time. Ever since I finished Born in Equestria, in particular, my mood has picked up a lot. That story really needed to be finished being written before I could have ever been ready to write this story, or continue making progress with the story of my own life for that matter.

But it's all done, and the good results I've found in my efforts here are an important validation of my success in starting a new chapter, so this story is pretty significant to me. It's also significant in that it's the first romance I've ever written (even if maybe from an oddly indirect perspective), so that's been interesting too. Exploring Sunburst's personality and her character is pretty fun.

To tell the truth, it's been a great source of inflection, there's a lot of myself in her.

In particular, the Seawall is directly inspired by a real place that I've been: San Clemente Island. While I was in the Navy I had the opportunity to visit San Clemente Island for three days. It was sort of an odd and surreal thing, being there, because it was, even in the middle of an otherwise completely awful experience in the surrounding time, three of the best days of my life. I loved it. I was alone, almost completely, for those three days. I was pretty much on my own to explore, and I did just that. I walked. I walked for hours every day. I walked along the roads, then I left the roads and picked my way through the thorny low growing bushes and cactus patches until I found my way to dunes of fine white sand, which is the closest thing that island has to a beach of sorts. Once I reached the shore, which is mostly jagged rocks, I walked along that for a while, watching all the sea life, which has always fascinated me. In the sand I did find a couple of good sized seashells, which I still have.

And yes, there was a wall there. It wasn't literally a seawall, but it was something close enough. It was a lonely concrete and rebar barrier in the middle of nowhere, used for (as far as I can tell) tactical exercises and training, probably by special forces candidates. There was no one around for miles while I was there, though.

You can actually see it yourself via satellite photo. Take a look at this link:
The wall on San Clemente Island

Yep. That thin black looking line running at about a 30 degree angle from lower left toward upper right? That, in real life, is where the Seawall came from.

In fact, the very first journal entry that starts this story was written as a stand-alone short piece, basically me recording some of my feelings about being on San Clemente but through the lens of the experiences of a pony original character instead. Only much later, nearly two years now, did I realize that through Sunburst's eyes and her experiences with this kind of thing would make for an interestingly unique perspective from which to tell the TwiDash story that I wanted to do now that I was finally done with Born in Equestria.

Thus, Seashell rapidly evolved from that fusion, an asocial military pony seeking her place alone in the world intertwined with two ponies whose positions make them alone even while they can't stop themselves from loving each other and trying not to admit it.

I guess all I can say is, I hope it worked. I hope you have enjoyed this. I know I had fun writing it, at least, so that's something worthwhile.

Thanks for reading! :)

Oh, and...