Dear Princess Celestia,

I'm writing this letter with my cousin and friend, Lightning Flash. First of all, let me just say that the last few days have been quite eventful. Lightning and I have had our own journeys, our own trials, our own thoughts and secrets. Sure, these trials have tested our bond and pushed us almost to the edge, but in the end, I think it's safe to say we've learned a thing or two about friendship.

The first lesson (and I guess this one goes more for me) is that envy can tear somepony's life apart. It can cloud your mind until you don't realize who's a friend and who really isn't. Sometimes you'll see another who is getting all the attention and good things, and you'll want them too. But you've got to realize that sometimes it isn't all about you. Envy and selfishness are two traits that nobody likes, and sometimes you need to be willing to hand the spotlight to somepony else for a change. Who knows? Maybe that pony is really doing those deeds for your benefit. Maybe handing it over is best for both of you.

The second (and this one is more for Lightning) is that ignorance can be bliss for one pony, but it can be complete madness for another. It's easy for somepony to get carried away with something. But sometime you've just gotta step back and think about what you're doing. About whether you're doing it for the good of another, or yourself. In the end, you may be doing more harm than good, even if you have good intentions.

The third lesson (and this one goes for the two of us) is about promises, perseverance, and happy endings. I've learned that there is no such thing as a happy ending. Not so much because there is no happiness, but because things never really end. Life is full of problems. It's an endless circle of trial and error. But sometimes the mistakes we make have the power to change our lives. And it is our choice to either run away from the problem, or confront it. Nopony is perfect. Everypony makes mistakes. But it's the ones who manage to face the facts and accept them that find peace of mind. And these past few days, I've learned that doing that is most definitely NOT the easiest thing to do. But I've also learned that it IS possible. And yes, things may never be the way they were before. But as my cousin said, that doesn't mean it won't be even better.

Our mistakes can cause us to lose sight of what matters most. Sometimes things can cloud what's really important, whether it's from insults, anger…ignorance. It's only our nature as ponies to let our emotions cloud our mind. And it's hard to have a clear mind when the world seems to spin around you. But when everything cools down, as clichéd as it might sound, you may find that what you need most was right there all this time.

You must be willing to fight for your happiness. And if you're not, well, you should probably rethink your priorities and figure out what is worth fighting for. Because I can guarantee there's something…or somepony…out there worth fighting for.

Lastly, I've learned that there are some bonds that can never be broken. Even through countless storms and numerous trials, there are bonds that will hold strong until the very end. Even though there may be arguments, accidents, and bumps in the road, at the end of the day friends will still be friends. And family will still be family.

Well, that was a pretty long letter, and I'm pretty pooped out for the day. I'm pretty surprised actually, considering I'm not much of a writer. I hope this letter didn't bore the heck out of you, Princess. And I want you to know that I absolutely meant everything I said here, 100 percent. Anyway, I should probably get to sleep now. Lightning's managed to give himself the flu and a fractured rib, so it looks like we'll both be bunking together for tonight. Next week , once we feel better, I'll be accompanying him back to Mare-acaibo, his home town. We're going to be flying over there in Pinkie's balloon on account of my broken wing. It's gonna be quite the homecoming, and I'm going to be there for him every step of the way. There's no way I'd ever leave him by himself, that's what family's for. We go together like two peas in a pod. Or I guess in our case…thunder and lightning.

Thanks for reading, Princess.

Your faithful students,
Rainbow Dash and Lightning Flash

I couldn't find a good place to put this, so why not at the end?

The Racer whose loyalty holds no bounds
Her passion is what makes her strong
But her fast-paced nature has made her wary
Of the treasure that lay hidden all along

With vigor and valor she flies on
Only one goal in sight
Cannot rest until the battle is done
And the world hath been set aright

The Stranger, with morals of honor
His faithful heart does abide
Not one to spurn a pony in crisis
Works against the secrets he doth hide

It may encompass his world with darkness
Trap his soul in its relentless vice
But for friendship, it is his sworn duty
To brave through fire and ice

Though there shall be no rest for the wicked
Their hearts are vulgar and lewd
But peace and joy, long everlasting
Awaits the everlasting good

For the ones who bear the world on their back
Fear is a demon naught can defeat
Not with cowardly whims or ignorant deeds
It is love that makes it all complete

There you have it folks. This fanfic is officially done. And I have to say, it's been quite a wild ride.

First of all, I'll start with the legal stuff. All the rights to MLP go to Hasbro, all those guys at Studio B, and Mrs. Faust. Seeing as though Hasbro is taking down pony related stuff, I'd start with that. The poem above was inspired by the Pony Psychology Series by Saddlesoap Opera. And let's not forget the song Ain't No Rest for the Wicked, by Cage the Elephant. And now on to the author letter...

At first, I thought this was going to be an easy little story of friendship and family. I thought I had everything planned out. But some things don't exactly go as planned. And sometimes, it can be for the better.

You guys have served as inspiration for me to try and make my writing stronger. I've learned a lot from your praise as well as your insightful and humbling criticisms. I've had a little stint with hogging the limelight, and I've taken that to heart. And I've had a problem with repetitive events, and I have also taken that to note.

But above all was the issue of my character, Lightning Flash. As I have stated before, I am going to stand by him 110%, no matter what. After all, he's my very first OC pony, and that's always going to have a special place in my heart. But I've also realized he had a major flaw. Not to the ponies in Ponyville, but to you guys, the readers. The flaw was that he was perfect, too perfect. And that, my friends, is a no-no.

It's pretty hard balancing the likes of the readers to my own personal preferences. And I've tried to make him seem not too perfect, yet at the same time not totally different from the pony I first imagined. (Does that even make sense?) He was going to be a static character, an almost murderer, then a jerk that hid underneath all the good deeds he did. There were times when I thought of just scrapping the story completely, and restarting with a new OC, one with some kind of painfully obvious flaw.

But that's where you guys came in, giving me some suggestions and telling me how I'm doing in his character development. After reading the comments, it motivated me to try and turn this unexpected situation into something better, instead of just giving up and starting over. One character must have some kind of vulnerability, some kind of weakness. Looking back now, I am glad to say that, although it started out slow and repetitive, I am happy with the way things turned out at the end. I can only hope that you guys think the same.

I'd like to extend a special thanks to few reviewers that were crucial to this story. A Ship of Epic Proportions-for being a loyal reader and reviewer from beginning to end, giving me both praise as well as criticism, which is exactly what a reviewer should do. CDRT-I can't really say what you said was…nice. But nonetheless, it was good motivation to improve. Who would have guessed? Love My Writing Or Else-Yet another loyal reviewer that I'd like to personally thank. And to all the others that have commented as well as those who have subscribed and yet are too shy to leave a review.

On those notes, I say goodbye to you guys. Hope you enjoyed your feature fanfic presentation! And perhaps you guys could maybe check out my other pony story Surrogates: Harmony and Love. Truthfully, it's not that good. Just full of sappy love stuff. I'd like to know if I should continue it or not.

I'm already starting up my next story. As of now, it will probably be a crossover story. But that will depend on how I like the idea. Oh, and lastly, this is definitely NOT the last time you'll be seeing of Lightning *wink wink*. That is, if you choose to keep following me, which I am not forcing you to do by the way. :)

Keep on flying, bronies. Keep spreading the love.

Your faithful writer,
Unwept Flynn