When Twilight first began her experiments in trying to figure out better ways to access the Aether, the realm of magic and souls just outside their physical realm, she did not expect to make significant progress. After all, pony kind has been trying to find out the answer to that line of thinking for centuries.

When she felt herself connect to the other realm Twilight accidentally manipulated its energies in a different sort of way. The Aether bent to her will much easier than before. Getting just a bit too excited, Twilight played with the Aether a tad too freely and the reality-bending powers of the outer realm sucked her into its bottomless depths.

Fortunately Twilight was able to direct herself back to the material realm using the closest, and brightest, soul she could find as an anchor. And the second she looked up at the skull of the skeleton sitting on top of a golden throne, she knew life was about to get more... interesting.

(A crossover with "If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device")

This story is a sequel to A Glimmer of Hope in the Black

Declaration from White Clover
Date(s): April 26th
Relevant Case: Ponyville Mass Disappearance (#3467)
Classification: Top Secret

To whom it may concern,

As of this declaration, all those stationed in the town of Ponyville tasked with investigating the citizenship’s disappearance are to begin immediate psychological evaluations. If the results of an individual’s evaluation is considered troubling, a mandatory period of rest and recovery will be required before they may resume duty on any case.

Special thanks to Petrichord, Solocitizen, Garnot, Floydien, and Door Belle for their help with the writing, editing or proofreading of this story.

A print version of all the stories in this series can be found here.

As day ends and night begins, there is a brief window of time in which the two royal sisters meet on equal terms, neither one firmly in complete control.

In these times of quiet reflection with one another, their minds and their hearts can truly meet most closely. This is when they see each other the most clearly, here in the trading and in the game they play.

Note: The game in this story can actually be replayed if you're interested! Get the text of the .pgn (portable game notation) file at http://pastebin.com/NY258GJx, copy it to your clipboard, and paste into the PGN text box at http://chesstempo.com/pgn-viewer.html for a JavaScript based replay right in your web browser, or save it as your own .pgn text file and replay with the game viewer software of your choice (you can find one by Googling for "pgn viewer" - not to be confused with "png viewer", though, which is completely different).

It's not terribly important, however. Alternately, you can ignore the game replay and just read the story without it, which most people probably will. Other options for replay are in the notes at the bottom of the story.

There is a ghost haunting the corridors of Ponyville's newest dwelling, the princess's Castle of Friendship. It is a ghost without voice, or hoof, or spectral limb to cast strange shadows upon crystalline walls.

But it's not the ghost of a pony. It's not a person at all.

No really, Princess Celestia has a lot of sex. Really. Cadance's claims to the contrary are unfounded, wholly false, and her concern over the matter is entirely misplaced. There is absolutely no reason to continue discussing the matter. So let's just drop the subject completely and move on.

Please.

Featured on 12/31/17

Inspiration is Rarity's Element, and Sweetie Belle her greatest achievement. But the filly has questions, ones that Rarity might not be able to answer on her own. What makes a pony? How can somepony know if they really are alive? Are they alive if they laugh and cry? Are they alive if they think, if they make mistakes and have ideas?

If Sweetie Belle is nothing more than a collection of wires, is she truly alive?

Spanish Translation now available through this elegantly crafted link!

Since the rediscovery of the Elements, the reputation of the Bearers has been slow to spread -- but it has spread. And so some ponies are now aware that if they ever truly want to know what an animal is thinking, all they need to do is go to Ponyville, approach the cottage on the settled zone's border, and request a consultation -- whereupon the pegasus who lives there will typically do everything she can to turn them away.

After all, most ponies really don't want to know that their favorite companions are, at heart, complete morons.

(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.

In this day and age, who has time to be a God? Prayers come in 24/7 and fancy dress is compulsory. Rainbow Dash certainly doesn't have time. She's got bills to pay and things to do. Besides, she isn't qualified for Godhood, surely.

The ponies who say her control of the weather is divine disagree, unfortunately. They've given her a funny spear and a robe that doesn't quite fit. They've got their own temple and they take church seriously.

And it turns out she's not the only pony recently undergone apotheosis...

Teen for immature jokes.

Due to a mix-up in the pantry, the jasmine tea that Princess Celestia orders for consumption with her breakfast turns out to be made out of coca leaf, instead.

A period of overwhelming bureaucratic efficiency, aggressive platonic affection, and mild insanity follows.

EDIT: Featured (briefly) 6/13/17! Thank you all!
EDIT: Featured at #1 6/14/17! WOW! Awesome, thank you all!

After a magical mishap renders Rarity temporarily blind, Twilight Sparkle agrees to help her around the Boutique, utilizing a fancy spell that allows Rarity to see a simple outline of the world around them. It's just a gesture of good friendship; absolutely nothing more.

Nothing more whatsoever.

Who: Monochromatic
When: Interwoven Colours Conest
Where: RariTwiGroup
Why: Panties