i've mentioned the sending stones in the past as the way we keep in contact with one another
they work anywhere at any distance as far as i can tell
i even sent one to dad and the occasional contact via stone is how i've kept my homesickness from becoming debilitating
i also sent one to the regent but they haven't contacted me in return ... and i might be able to find out why soon enough
i plan to offer them the upgraded replacements that i've barely talked about here
a more recent development is the "sending slate" – usually just "slate" – which is like a sending stone but larger and flat so it can send and show images
it's more complicated to make but within the skill of a moderately practiced artificer
aaren's developed something similar which is simpler to make but they don't directly contact each other – they talk with regularly-spaced "beacons" that manage connecting them but those are more complex to make so it's a tradeoff
i can't help but wonder what effect these might have if they become popular back home
imagine everyone being able to communicate with loved ones from the other side of equestria or in the crystal compact without having to travel or send a courier!
and if someone gets lost or is in trouble they could call for help and send a picture of where they are so a rescue team could find them quickly
also
finally
good news can travel as fast as bad news!