Twilight does some research into her tried and true teleportation spell.

Twilight asks Discord for a game of chess. Discord agrees - in order to make a point.

And in order to ask Twilight to complete one simple task.

Ivory spires that put to shame the mountain they're grafted to. Thousands of lives perched on a slab of iron bolted to the side of a cliff, with an artificial sun doin' its best to warm the shadows underneath. Then there's the cybertech changin' the face of ponykind, rubbin' right up against magic the likes of which the world ain't seen for centuries. This, all of this, is New Canterlot. A magical place, in the dangerous way. Everythin' you ever dreamed of, and everythin' you ever feared. For what it's worth, good luck out there... I think you're gonna need it.

Setting inspired by Shadowrun, for both of you who care.

A thousand years ago, jealousy transformed me into a creature of darkness named Nightmare Moon, and I attempted to plunge the world into eternal night. In order to protect Equestria and her little ponies, Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish me. This is the story as you have heard it.

The story is not entirely false. I became Nightmare Moon, I rebelled against my sister, and in the end, I was banished by the Elements of Harmony. But time has eroded the story, and much of it has been forgotten.

This is the story of Nightmare Moon as told by the only one who remembers the truth.

Featured on Equestria Daily!

I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, have been reduced to performing magic tricks in a Trottingham tavern. One would think I'd never sink this low, but it's not as bad as it could be. The food is good, the beds are soft, and the company plentiful. The only problem? I'm stuck here until I earn enough bits to buy another caravan so I can get back on the road where I belong.

So imagine my delight when one evening, a conpony walks through the door and starts cheating at cards. It was a golden opportunity: a chance to line my purse, play the heroine, and teach an amateur magician a thing or two about misdirection.

I had a perfect plan. My only mistake was getting a friend involved.

After Rainbow Dash accidentally says the wrong two words to exactly the wrong unicorn, she learns a lesson about the power of language -- in more than one way.

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

My unicorn parents called me a worthless mud pony. They pushed me every day to overcome my lowly status. When I woke up one morning with my cutie mark, I thought they would love me. I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

It was not destiny or enjoyment that led me to discover the cello and composing. My parents made that decision, deciding before I was born I would continue their family legacy of famous musicians.

They did not realize what that decision would cost them.

Special Thanks and Links:

Cover Art: Dreampaw. The inspiration for the story.
Dramatic reading of Act I-III by Malao567. June 2013
Reading with music by ObabScribbler. June 2014
Song: Hooks and Strings by Reverb Brony. May 2014

Style inspired by H.P. Lovecraft
TypeWriterError: Editor & Rating Board
Gage of Grandiloquence: Editor
The11thWonder: Pre-reader
Nharctic: Pre-reader
Breath of Plagues: My Pinch Editor.
ArgonMatrix: Bad Grammar Exterminator
Daemon of Decay: Advice, also inspired me to write fan fiction. Blame him!

This story is a sequel to Hard Reset

After the events of Hard Reset Twilight's life and mental well being are slowly returning to normal. Her recovery is cut short, though, when a letter arrives informing her that the time loop spell she cast is causing severe damage to space and time itself. In over her head, Twilight tries to summon anypony who will know how to fix it. The pony she gets is the last one she ever thought she would meet... and nothing like she expected him to be.

Available in Spanish thanks to dgs1993
Series TV Tropes page

They are the Hoardsmiths. And they are completely insane.

Now with a Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi!

A handful of pages recount a remarkable journey to Equestria by someone who sought only a little peace. The story continues in Justice, and concludes in Hope.