Rainbow Dash has a problem. It's not her grades. It's not that Sunset Shimmer keeps tormenting her. It's not that Fluttershy is her only friend.

Okay, well, it's all of those things.

But mostly it's her stepmom.

Sometimes, rites and rituals, traditions and customs, make sense. And then there's this.

Forewarning: just about every tag left off because I didn't want to spoil this.

Special credit goes to Whitewolf Stormrunner for this one. She was my muse every step of the way.

Rainbow Dash hasn't been having a good time since Discord was defeated. Her supervisor suddenly thinks she can't handle a simple weather schedule. Her relay team all suddenly have a grudge against her. Something isn't right, and it's not limited to her. Applejack's family is watching over her like a jailhouse warden. Twilight is avoiding them all, visiting with strange ponies, and losing sleep on something she won't talk about. Pinkie Pie, and Rarity are both having problems they can't explain. And for Fluttershy, it's the worst of all.

Without Twilight’s guidance, 5 ponies have to figure out what happened to the town, and why their lives are so messed up despite Discord being long gone. Somehow they have to get Twilight to open up to them again, and accept help from her friends. But nothing they do seems to work right. They’re at a loss of what to make of any of this, until Rainbow Dash stumbles upon a truly chilling revalation, that throws into question everything the 5 of them have ever known.

When trouble calls, Dash wants an obvious goal, a big bad monster to defeat, but now the only thing she can see in front of her are all her friends.

An exhausted sleepwalking all-powerful Alicorn walks into a store.

She kind of messes the place up a bit.

I appreciate the story being shared around, commented on, liked, enjoyed, all that jazz.

Long ago two alicorn Sisters ruled Equestria. One controlled the sun, the other the stars. It has been 1000 years since the younger sister was banished to moon after becoming Deepened Dusk. Now Starswirl, gifted unicorn and prized pupil of Princess Sunset Shimmer, believes that Deepened Dusk will return to seek revenge on Equestria. The only thing that can stop her are the Elements of Harmony, but they have been lost to time. Will she be able to find them in time with her new friends?

Tucked away in a corner just off the main roads of Canterlot, there exists a small shop.
It's a humble place of red brick, lacking entirely the put-upon golden and marble splendor of the richer, nobler portions of the city.
But that's just fine in the mind of it's proprietress. This place isn't one meant for the rich and the noble.
It's meant for the stressed single fathers, the cash-strapped students, the hungry tourists, the late-shift guards.
All are welcome there, and all are greeted as friends.

Art provided by Froopy (who I can't link to because we only ever spoke on Discord)

A story about two alicorn sisters who love each other, and the worst decision they never made.

Now with FIMFic-exclusive bonus material!

* * *

(Featured in the Everfree NW 2012 conbook • Featured on EqD • ★★★★ rating from One Man's Pony Ramblings)

Hello, friends! My name is Lemony Cutewhistle.

I am probably a normal pony.

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Editing thanks to Aquaman and Masked Ferret.

Discord has a problem. He has a tendency to not think through his actions all that well, poor impulse control, and no ability to figure out how others will feel about what he does. Even with a friend helping him, sooner or later he's going to do something that'll get him stoned or hit with a reforming spell or whatnot. So what's he to do? Ask the smartest pony in Equestria for a solution, of course!

He probably wasn't expecting to get "Have Celestia let you rule Equestria again" for a response.

No one else was probably expecting to enjoy it.

Now with a reading by Crafty Arts!
And a Spanish translation!

Seriously, a lot.

(Now with a Spanish translation by the generous SPANIARD KIWI!)