Dear Luna,

I'm sorry if I brought up any sad memories of your mother, but it is wonderful to hear that she was a good mare. Though I cannot imagine her being anything else, what with having raised both you and Celestia who would eventually go on to rule over all of Equestria. I have to say that I think she would be proud of you, despite Nightmare Moon.

I've seen some amazing displays of your work every night lately, and more than that hearing how repentant you are in these letters speaks to how sorry you are for all that you've done. I know I'm glad to have you back.

I'm very glad to have sent you a letter too, I only wish I had done it sooner. I feel so much more comfortable talking to you about things that I think Princess Celestia would find silly or beneath her notice. I know she wants to be treated like any other pony, but some part of me will always see her as the Princess. I know you're a princess as well, but we grew up only knowing one princess, and it's hard to adapt to that. I can't help but think of you as my friend Luna over any other titles. I guess that might seem a bit rude to you, I'm sorry.

About that nightmare, I'm not really sure how to respond, I mean I'm grateful you see me as such a guardian figure, but for some reason I feel like I've seen something similar to it in one of those books Rarity had me read. It's not silly, in fact I think that it's a fear that you'll have to grow out of, since it held you for so long. It will take some time and the love of good friends to get you over it.

I won't tell Princess Celestia, but maybe you should talk with her about these fears of yours. I'm sure she'll help you all she can, and if not, know who would be the best possible pony for the job. I think that you will be a great princess, as you know something that Celestia does not. You know how the darkness of one's heart can corrupt somepony firsthoof, and you'll do anything in your powers to prevent another from following in your hoofsteps.

But perhaps some time in another pony's shoes would help you to understand us, and Princess Celestia too. I'm not trying to imply that you two don't understand nor love your subjects, but I can't help but wonder if the time away from us might have distanced yourselves from us. Also, it may be why others cannot see your desire to be treated as regular ponies.

I couldn't help but notice you left out Earth ponies, while I can understand the wanting to remain in touch with either flight or magic to aid in your disguise, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live one day as Applejack, Big Mac, or any of the various Earth Ponies. Except Pinkie Pie, not that she doesn't seem like a good pony to experience life through. It's just, well, she's Pinkie Pie. Sometimes it's as though she lives on another plane of existence than the rest of us.

I believe that nopony is ever beyond help, I only wish that sometimes I had the courage to act on that belief sooner. You may have read about the unicorn known as The Great and Powerful Trixie from the reports on the Ursa Minor incident. I would like to go on record as saying she did not cause the incident, and did her best to correct matters before I arrived. I sadly let her run away after the incident, feeling at the time that she needed time alone to learn her lesson. Now I wonder if I was not just trying to make myself feel better.

Another I feel could use a healthy dose of love and tolerance is Gilda the Griffon, formerly Dash's best friend. I can't help but feel that she has her reasons for acting as she did, and I wonder on some quiet nights if Dash has tried to reconcile with her.

There I go rambling again, sorry. I would be more than happy to stand by your side, all you have to do is but ask and I'll support you. I don't know if I'd make a good advisor, as I am rather inept with other ponies, but I would do my best.

I don't mind your mood Luna, it's just a side of you that hasn't been seen by any other pony before. Thank you for continuing your letter instead of destroying it and starting over. I have transcribed one of the songs that Pinkie Pie taught me after we'd first met that may help you with your nightmares. She has titled it "Giggle at the Ghosties" and it is a rather appropriate name. I don't know if you remember it from when she sang it for us to help defeat Nightmare Moon's haunted forest. It's a bit silly, but it really does work.

I'd really prefer that you didn't ask her to do that, I was such an awkward filly at times when I was younger. You're very close with how you described it, let's leave it at that. Please?

I suppose your explanation for her choosing me would be a good reason. But sometimes I can't help but wonder if she didn't just choose me because I made her laugh so often. She probably has dozens if not hundreds of embarrassing stories about me from when I was growing up. Not that you have to ask her about them or anything, in fact why don't we just forget I mentioned them?

Thank you for not telling Spike, I just don't think his ego could stand to suffer that blow this shortly after getting shot down by his crush once again. Though, I'm starting to wonder if the Cutie Mark Crusaders might not have designs for him, they have been chasing him around town a lot lately. I'm not entirely sure how he managed to stay in front of Scootaloo's scooter during that entire chase, but Rainbow Dash told me she was very impressed with him.

Yes, that is an image that must be preserved for all history in film. We must plot on that a bit more, I think including Pinkie Pie in the planning might be the best strategy, since she seems to always know when something fun is about to happen. Unless of course it's about us planning her surprise birthday party, and even then we had to do it in an plain, featureless empty room with no windows so she couldn't just pop in on us.

They still have that? Oh geeze, I thought they got rid of it when I graduated the Filly Scouts. I wonder if the troop knows that little stand is there. Maybe I should write to my old troop leader and inform her, or find out who is in charge of the troop now. And yes, they are good in my opinion.

I'd love to show you sometime, maybe me and my friends could come early to the Gala and I could give all of you a tour of where I spent my years growing up. We'll try to keep it informal for you, though I think with Pinkie Pie that's her default mode.

Oh yes, I want everypony to have a wonderful night, and have researched the event thoroughly, however I'm a bit unsure about the impromptu part of the evening. I know that it's meant to allow everypony to have a say in what happens, but I'm not good at doing things without a plan.

As for the tent, yes it is adjustable, and I intend to turn up the opacity when we go to bed, just in case.

I suppose that it might be possible for somepony to be attracted to me and for me to not notice it right under my nose. I tend to be somewhat oblivious at times, especially about things like social interactions. Sometimes I think it would require a sign the size of Canterlot itself for me to get the hint. I suppose it would be nice to know that somepony out there had feelings for me, but I cannot tell them how I feel unless they let me know there is a chance. I believe that I am open minded, and would give them a chance before deciding if there was anything there.

I just hope I don't hurt them.

That scene you described sounds amazing, and I think it'd be a really beautiful sight to behold. However, I don't think I'd like my first kiss to be taken by somepony I knew that didn't have the courage to tell me their feelings outright. It may not be romantic I guess, but I think I have a scenario that would fit in with one of those books. Not that I could know about them aside from your mentioning them. I wouldn't dream of invading Princess Celestia's private space like that.

But I guess I would like a pony to take me out around dusk and watch the sunset with me. Then as the final rays of Celestia's Sun peeks over the horizon, they would turn to me and rest their head on my shoulder before saying a simple "I love you, Twilight" and kissing my cheek. I guess I've never really thought of it much. I don't really read those types of books much, and am a bit behind in that type of study. I hope that it was alright.

Do you remember Pinkie Pie? Well she stopped by shortly after I posted the last letter and asked to borrow the book with the pajama party in, and asked for the mailing address of the castle. I couldn't give it to her, but I did offer her the services of Spike if she wanted to send a message to one of the princesses. I think she may already know, and well parties seem to be her job.

Thank you for understanding my feelings about my parents, and I will someday rely on your offer if I ever decide to ask Princess Celestia, but for now I'm just happy with the family I have chosen for myself. You don't have to call me your heroine if you don't want, in fact it feels kinda weird. I don't want to seem rude, but would you mind not calling me that?

I believe the term is rose-tinted glasses, and it does make for rather shining examples of the time instead of how things were. I can only imagine what the ponies of the future would look back and see us as having now. Of course, I can't help but see them as far advanced of ourselves, with Unicorns doing things that I could only dream of, Pegasi doing aerial feats that Rainbow Dash would be drooling over, and Earth ponies doing so much with the ground they so love.

For some odd reason, I keep seeing Pinkie bouncing around in that little fantasy, or rather one of her descendants. There always needs to be a little chaos in the world I suppose, just to make life interesting and to advance it in their own unique way.

Oh you have? I'm glad that you are trying out some of the classic literature, there are several wonderful writers out there, and I wish I could read them all.

Minor ventures? I'm sorry, but those star filled skies are the inspiration for many a work of art. I'm not too familiar with art sadly, as I tend to stick to my studies, but I have flipped through an art history book or two in my time, and yes... Nicked Ear did have a tragic tale. I wont' go into depth about it, since I cannot remember all the details, but his works are still considered to be some of the greatest masterpieces available. Others you might like are the famous Pegasus artist Cloud Monet, and of course the great polymath Brave Lion. I believe his most famous work still hangs in the castle in Canterlot, the Mane-a Lisa was hung in Princess Celestia's private studies when she took me on a tour of the castle once.

As I stated earlier Luna, your work is the basis that many of these masters look towards for inspiration, and a copy your sister provided for a thousand years at that. If they could only see half of what I saw in the past couple nights I dare say they would be humbled beyond words, their quills and brushes stilled as the beauty of your night enveloped them in rapture. To look into the night's sky is to gaze into a mystery that none but the most gifted have the talent to even hope to represent faithfully. You warned me about downplaying my own actions and talents, so I hope you can see that I just wish for you to recognize your own.

About those flowers, I remember reading about them, and I think I saw them once during one of the Filly Scout camping trips. I hope you remembered to cut them at an angle so they do not die too quickly. Oh, and I read somewhere that the extracts from bark and leaves of a willow tree in the water can help to keep them alive longer. I don't know if it will work or not, but it was in one of the books on gardening I was reading a few years ago.

Alright, I won't... I trust you Luna.

Don't worry about the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they're wonderful fillies. They're just rather excitable and energetic at times. I'm sure they'll do great in whatever they discover themselves to be talented at.

I believe that it's spelled Megan, but I'm not sure. I remember reading about them as a little filly, and I think it was Megan, Danny, and Molly. The My Little Human tales were really quite popular when I was growing up.

If it would be alright with the both of you, I guess I do have a different point of view than the two of you, and it would be interesting to get to know more about it from your side of things. I mean I might not bring much insight or anything, but I hope that I can at least keep apace with the two of you.

I have a romantic view of things? I guess that at times it's true, but I've found that more often than not I am too analytical of things. Sometimes I let that creativity get the best of me and just ramble about something weird. For example, when Fluttershy took Philomena from your sister, I was the one that came up with all those horrible scenarios that she must have mentioned. Looking back I feel silly for even thinking about some of them. I mean how can one imprison somepony after banishing them?

I don't know if that'd be such a great idea Luna, after all we are a bit rough around the edges for the most part. I'm sure that Rarity would be thrilled to sit at the head table, but I don't know about the others. I think that Applejack and Rainbow Dash would be a bit out of place, Fluttershy would feel really self-conscious about being in the spotlight, Pinkie Pie would probably be a bit eccentric, and I'd just look a little foalish. I'm not saying that I'd be out of place, but I'd just look like the nerdy little kid at the adult table, if that makes any sense. I'll ask the others, but I don't know how they'll respond. Who exactly would be at the main table otherwise?

I see the point in your words, and I will try to follow your advice, but I believe that you shouldn't allow yourself to only shine by reflection. In you is the dazzling vista of stars across the vast expanse of night, gracing all those that are fortunate enough to bear witness. Do not forget that the Sun is but the closest star to Equestria. I could never publish my stories, not without crediting all my friends and editing it to allow a few of the antagonists to save face.

Oh good, I really hope that I do not embarrass you. I learned a few old fashioned prances, as well as several of the more modern ones. I wonder if they will be having the waltz? It's a very beautiful prance, and Rarity told me that I seemed to be best at it. I will set up a signal for Fluttershy to give us if we do disturb her, since she really wanted to see the gardens, and I would hate to ruin it for her.

Is it? I hadn't noticed. Well I suppose if you want to give me a gift that's alright, but the camera is probably outside the acceptable price range. I don't think I've told the others, so I don't want anything too extravagant or anything. I suppose that someone should tell Pinkie Pie, since we missed my last one in all the excitement. Probably should be me, so she knows that I just want a quiet, private affair.

I'll hold you to that promise Luna, don't think I won't. But I'm afraid I have to face the music, and Pinkie Pie, and so must end this letter.

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle