After failing to stop Nightmare Moon in the ancient castle of the pony sisters, Twilight Sparkle is left with a scar that will permanently change the rest of her natural born life. As Twilight recovers from her ordeal, she finds that she is left with a difficult choice. Either live her life as a lie or sacrifice her innocence to protect the ones she loves. The path before her is set and she must now walk it alone. The sands of time continues ever onward, with everyone already trapped in its muddy depths. The sun will rise and the sun will fall. Waiting for its call, Death awaits for all.

Tags, rating, and characters can change.

Art created by:
http://cuteskitty.deviantart.com (top)
http://ventious.deviantart.com (bottom)

I just put the two together

This story is a sequel to Off The Edge Of The Map

When Twilight is sent with Luna on a diplomatic mission to Draconia, they quickly find themselves somewhere that doesn't appear on any map, and Luna is lost in more than one way...

Thanks to RBDash47 of Pony Fiction Archive for formatting it for submission.
Title image by Valcron

Tremendous thanks to Illya Leonov and Scribbler for the Audiobook version.
Now with a Spanssh translation by SPANIARD KIWI: https://www.deviantart.com/spaniard-kiwi/art/Apoteosis-2-3-857110089

How do you cope when all your friends are dying of old age around you, but you seem not to be growing older at all? Twilight Sparkle tackles this problem for herself the only way she's ever known how: research, and then contacting Princess Celestia for advice. The explanation she gets is nothing like what she could have expected, and it will change Twilight's life forever.

Twilight finds all this studying of magic rarely lends itself an opportunity to use it. Until a certain arrogant unicorn shows up to tout her abilities. It's the perfect opportunity to show the town her magical prowess...almost too perfect.

Twilight Sparkle is accepted into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and gets a little more than what she bargained for.

Illustrated by me.

(If you object to swearing, please skip chapter 6. That's the one chapter that bumps this story straight up to a Teen rating.)

Nightmare Moon has won, and the world has been shrouded in eternal night. But hope still lives. The land of Equestria is currently divided between the armies of the usurper and those of the Dawn Militia. However, the greatest danger to the rebellion may not be the dreaded Mare of the Moon, but her lieutenant, Eclipse–formerly known as Twilight Sparkle.

Many years after sending her beloved protege to Ponyville, unease sits heavily on Princess Celestia's heart as her relationship with Twilight Sparkle seems to have cooled despite all they've accomplished together. On the advice of her sister, Celestia sets out to investigate and resolve the lost connection with her most faithful student. What does it mean to be a Faithful Student...or a Princess of the Sun?

Earned a six-star rating on Equestria Daily and featured on its very own TVTropes page!.