Since trading a library tree for a much larger crystal castle, Twilight Sparkle and Spike don't see each other quite as much as they used. One quiet day in a string of quiet days, the young alicorn decides to visit her even younger companion.

Celestia discovers a lingering trace of Nightmare Moon's soul still lodged in Twilight's mind—a survivor of the lingering effects of the Element's magic.

Faced with the threat of gradually losing her friend to Nightmare Moon's evil influence, Celestia realizes the only way to save Twilight is to let the storm of dark magic take its course all at once.

And yet, as Nightmare Moon's corrupting magic tears away at Twilight's forgiveness and understanding, and Twilight begins dredging up unexpressed doubts once kept controlled, Celestia must face a lifetime of confrontation her student has kept covered.

It is going to be a long night for both alicorns.

This story was written for the Tenth Bimonthly Twilestia Contest. It placed somewhere.

There are several reasons Rarity stays inside on Nightmare Night. Because she's Generosity, and it makes more sense to be giving away treats than to go out collecting them. Because really, costumes are their very own fashion trends, darling, and there's only so much a reasonable pony can be expected to deal with per season. But mostly because when it comes to the truest holiday nightmare of Ponyville, the thing which sends colts, fillies, and adults galloping their screaming way into the night?

She's it.

(A stand-alone, no prior-reading-necessary part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group: new members and trope edits are welcome. )

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Celestia comes to visit Twilight and Starlight after Hearth's Warming Eve festivities die down for the night.

Starlight, figuring she'll never have a chance like this again, asks the immortal alicorn about what went down all those years ago.

Reading by TheArchitect!

Second reading by _NeighlyReads_!

Twilight confronts the Tree of Harmony about the way it never sends her on Friendship Missions. The Tree explains itself. Kind of.

The original version of this story got 4th place in the Writeoff Association's 56th contest, "*Princess Not Included."

Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle have been accidentally locked in a vault in the Royal Canterlot Bank. With the vault soundproof, windowless, and immune to magic and even Pinkie’s methods of… Pinkie-ness, they cannot escape for several hours. They use this time for shenanigans and introspection.

For hundreds of years, Twilight Sparkle has managed to go through her life by working day and night as the sole ruler of Equestria. Sensing her life coming to an end, Twilight looks back at her achievements and believes like something is missing since the last of her loved ones died.

One day, Twilight finds some old relics with her great-great-great-great-great granddaughter with one of them being her old doll, Smartypants. Memories of the time she used to play with her favorite doll, even bringing it to life with a spell, flood her as long-buried emotions come out. It is with Smartypants that Twilight will find what she has been missing all this time.

***

Inspired by BerrryPAWNCH's Growing Pains Comic, who I thank for the permission to do this fic.

Thanks to my Editors: Darth Link 22, First Down, Chaotic Note, BronyWriter, and Socks

Chrysalis is beaten. Her invasion of Canterlot has failed. Her hive has been scattered to the winds. And with Equestria on guard, love is in short supply. She has failed her people, and now the future looks bleak and grim.

But there’s a change in the air. Chrysalis can feel it in her bones and in her dreams. Something is calling to her, drawing her and the remnants of her hive north. To the place the changelings once called home.

Placed sixth in the August 2015 Write-Off Event: Distant Shores.

After witnessing the collateral damage of a secret war that has been fought for generations, Twilight will finally discover the truth behind it. A truth that is far different than anything she could have imagined.

Some enemies of Celestia are hulking abominations, others are mad deities, but a few are just persistent.

Write-off entry for the * Princess Not Included round.

Now with reading by Midnight29

Long ago, the founders of Equestria built a magical portal on sacred ground, hiding their greatest secret on the other side. Generations of leaders stepped through the portal so that they might emerge as the equal of their forebears.

Celestia and Luna were the last to enter. For a thousand years, the portal lay forgotten, its purpose lost.

Luna thinks it is time that Twilight learn what it means to rule.

There is now a Spanish translation of this story, courtesy of Spaniard Kiwi