3/14/24 Still Alive Edition

There's only one pony in Ponyville that the Mane Six have never met. Pinkie Pie has never thrown him a party, Applejack has never sold him a mug of cider, and Twilight has never seen him check out any books. And as far as that unicorn, Lapis Print, is concerned, that's exactly how it should be.

Lapis can't risk them knowing where he lives, what he does for a living, or even what his name is - if he gets his way, the Mane Six won't even know he exists, and nopony in Ponyville will miss him once he's gone.

It should be a piece of cake - after all, it's not like the biggest magical power in Equestria is about making sure everypony looks out for each other, right?

(Rated Teen for language - mental cursing mostly.)

Celestia is lost. She needs to get home.

This story was written for the 2023 FimFic Science Fiction Contest. It placed somewhere.

"My name is Lyra Heartstrings, and you will not remember me. You won't even remember this conversation. Just like with everypony else I've ever met, everything I do or say will be forgotten. Every letter I've written will appear blank; every piece of evidence I've left behind will end up missing. I'm stuck here in Ponyville because of the same curse that has made me so forgettable. Still, that doesn't stop me from doing the one thing that I love: making music. If my melodies find their way into your heart, then there is still hope for me. If I can't prove that I exist, I can at least prove that my love for each and every one of you exists. Please, listen to my story, my symphony, for it is me."

Cover pic by Spotlight: askspotlight.tumblr.com

The Fire of Friendship has all but faded. One thousand years ago, Equestria fractured... those who disagreed with Celestia's rule left under the leadership of Princess Luna to found their own nation, their own way of life. Seventy years later, Celestia and Luna both disappeared during the first war, leaving the battered nations leaderless in their absence.

Over the last nine hundred years wars have frequently waged between Equestria and Lunaria, each seeking to unite ponykind under their own ideals. Equestria's mastery of magic often gave it the edge in battle, but never enough for a decisive victory. Peace reigns for now, but recent developments in Lunaria signal a shift in the balance between the two divided nations...

In the beginning, The Great Weaver brought together the world, from the mountains to the forests. Stitching it together, the Great Tapestry connects all living and nonliving things.

The Changelings found themselves especially connected to this Tapestry. Legend says that the first Changelings fell through the world as it was woven together, only to be caught on the First Weave beneath it all.

But what happens when something else is caught in the Weave?

Prince Phasmatodea, son of Queen Chrysalis, remembers what it was like before he hatched. He remembers being a human. He remembers dying. And he fully intends on avoiding another death.

But being gifted a new life does not matter when one failure, one false step, will lead to your untimely demise in the Changeling hive, for Prince Phasma must survive his toughest adversary from the start: Mother Dearest.

Cover art as of 1/18/21 by Nixworld

Rainbow Dash's morning was pretty much ruined.
She tripped getting out of bed and landed flat on her face, giving herself an aching muzzle.
She forgot to buy her favorite brand of hay flakes at the store yesterday and had to eat plain toast for breakfast.
She found out she had to pull double-duty today and tomorrow on the weather patrol.
Oh, and she found a nearly-dead foal, broken and bleeding at the edge of Ponyville.

The rest of her day became a whirlpool of stress and worry but the colt woke up, thank Celestia.
Something's not right, though. Nopony can find his parents, he's not in the registers, and there's an unsettling look in his eye...

-
YouTube reading by Fire Hearth

Chinese Translation by forgivenlove

Russian Translation by Likantrop

TV Tropes page, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

This story is a sequel to An Affliction of the Heart: Volume Four

With her newfound responsibilities as Queen, Kuno has seen fit to lead the changelings towards a life of coexistance with ponies.

But there are those who would wish to see such an endeavour fail, and they're not above taking action to make it fail.

Cover art commissioned by Iakovl, drawn by Derpah.

She'd lost her home. She'd lost her family. She'd lost her hope. As Chrysalis nears the end, she makes one final gambit that could cost a princess her life. But as days pass and the future of Equestria grows dim, the former changeling queen finds herself wondering if this is what she really wants.

*Warning: This story is in the process of major rewrites. These rewrites will be released on a separate story when they are finished and marked as Version 2. The rewrites do shift a great deal of the story, leaving only the rough frame of the chapters intact. Because of this, this story is to be considered non-canon to the sequels, but will be kept around for those who wish to compare the two or want to see an alternate take on the story. I apologize for any inconvenience, and hope all you perspective readers out there will continue to enjoy this work for what it is.*

Thank you to Applezombi for their review, which can be found here: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/213901/my-little-reviews-feedback/thread/448400/review-of-death-of-a-queen-by-arkane12

For those seeking a bit more persuasion, there is another review by flutterJackdash here: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/924077/fjd-review-death-of-a-queen-by-arkane12

And another from Azure Drache:
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/213901/my-little-reviews-feedback/thread/455357/review-death-of-a-queen-by-arkane12

And last but certainly not least, one from the Queen herself, QueenChrysalisForever:
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/215274/reviewers-mansion/thread/460664/a-review-death-of-a-queen

Also, credit for the cover art goes to: The Sleepless Beholder. Thank you so much for your help. (https://www.fimfiction.net/user/249246/The+Sleepless+Beholder)

Thank you to all the reviewers, artists, and readers that made this story what it is today.