What Spike saw in the doorway of King Sombra's crystal palace hasn't left his mind. The fear of Twilight abandoning him haunts him through recurrent nightmares. Anxiety taunts him when he's at his most vulnerable, reminding him of all his failures, all his inadequacies, all his wounds.

One night, this fear and anxiety manifests itself in a full-blown nightmare, dragging Spike face-to-face with his greatest fear. What if Twilight never needed Spike in the first place?

Takes place right after the Season Three opener (before Episode Three).

Thanks to RGLloyd for editing.

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Now Featured by The Royal Canterlot Library!

Check out the YouTube reading by the awesome Chinchillax!

Check out another YouTube reading by DJ Tazzlez from Hive Radio!

Rated Teen for some dark elements.

Twilight Sparkle finds herself inside a cocoon in the throne room of Canterlot Palace along with her friends and many other ponies. She is thrust into a dream world by Chrysalis who is feeding on the feelings of love and friendship she and the others will experience in their alternate realities. In her dream, she finds Princess Celestia, who has been able to cross between dream worlds. Twilight and Celestia must now travel between dreams in order to awaken their friends and stop Chrysalis. However, some dreams are not as happy as they expected, and some secrets held in the subconscious may be better left unawoken.

Additional character tags: OC's, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, Princess Luna, Nightmare Moon, Trixie, Zecora, Diamond Tiara, Snips, Flitter, Cloudchaser, Roseluck, Big Macintosh

Inspired by the fan video of an alternative ending of season 2. Click here to watch it!

Featured on Equestria Daily 9/14/2012.

Now a comic illustrated by Zoarvek! http://zoarvek.deviantart.com/gallery/48143295

"Sex" tag added on 10/12/2014 due to sexual themes here and there. It's not the focus of the story, but it's in there. For a more detailed explanation of why the tag was finally added, see the author's note on "Corruption Ch 10"

Old cover art here: http://i.imgur.com/Tgt974q.jpg
Full size: http://i.imgur.com/9uWAX.jpg

Fluttershy spends a typical day with her pet bunny.

Written as part of the One-shotober challenge.

Previous stories:
Rainbow Rides the Gravy Train (Romance/Random/Slice of Life)
Rainbow Dash and the End of Daring Do (Slice of Life)
Luna Reads Her Fanmail (Random/Slice of Life)

Fluttershy tends to a bonsai tree. It's a nice, quiet distraction.

One day, eminent archaeologist and puzzle extraordinaire Professor Hershel Layton receives a peculiar package from a pair of princesses. Little did the gentleman know of what adventures and peculiarities awaited him... Standard crossover, with MLP:FiM. Characters will be added as the story is continued.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all related characters are property of Hasbro inc. and creator Lauren Faust. Professor Layton is the property of Level 5 inc. and Akira Tago. Puzzles created thus far by the author (Russell Smith, a.k.a "Crystal Blue"), with one map courtesy of Google, 2012.

When Twilight and Spike meet the sad and real Pinkie Pie at the table outside, Spike makes a test based on his memories of 'Party of One'. Pinkie Pie passes the test at that time, and this results a completely different outcome for the whole story.

In this version, there will be no Pinkie clone genocide.

Pinkie Pie has always served admirably as the Element of Laughter, and it's time for the princesses to show their appreciation. In fact, they have a special assignment for her, something they've never tried. It will be the best surprise she ever had.

Third-place winner in the /fic/ write-off "The First Time."

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Thanks to Scott "Inquisitor" M for critique of my rough draft.

While on a work trip to help family in Appleloosa, Big Macintosh strikes up some correspondences with friends back home. These are the letters that crossed Twilight Sparkle's desk.

Sometimes words don't mean what they say.

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What if Discord never ate the reforming spell Twilight was going to use on him as a last resort? What would happen to the Spirit of Chaos when a spell forcibly changes him to what the ponies' morality consider good to be? Nothing good, that's for sure. Or rather, nothing bad, according to the new Discord the spell creates.

Twilight Sparkle has overcome many trials and tribulations, all of which have challenged and changed her. Now, as a ruler of a new demesne of Equestria, she must face the world in a new light and learn the rules to play the game.

Things are different in the world of sovereigns. Foreign rulers are not as understanding or compassionate as Princess Celestia, nor are they as forgiving. Twilight must find a balance between being an effective ruler, and a strong diplomat. But with new trials arising at every corner, can she manage to maintain herself? What sort of ruler will she become? And will she manage to protect her own little ponies?