Hearth's warming eve once again rather than star in the pageant this year Twilight and the girls have been asked to help on the back end, applying their talents to make it the best pageant ever. During rehearsals an accident occurs which leaves Twilight blind. Rarity steps in to assist Twilight as much as she can and love comes to blossom between the two.

Heavy is the head that bears the crown. Light is the heart that shares its burdens.

Historian’s Note: The Tarnished Crown occurs three weeks before the events in the Season 4 Finale, Twilight’s Kingdom.

Cast: Rarity & Twilight Sparkle
Introducing: Amber Spark

Cover Art: Little-Tweenframes (SciSetDaily)
Rarity Header & Section Breaks Design: Novel Idea
Rarity Cutie Mark: Black-Gryph0n (Yes, that BlackGryp0n)

Beta Reader & Editor Credits
Ebon Quill - Audio Director & Quest Designer on The Manehattan Project
Little Tinker - Master of Systems at Poniverse & Scripting Engineer on The Manehattan Project
Beltorn - Commenter-at-Large on FimFiction
Cursori: Reader of Many a Pony Word
Monochromatic - Patron Saint of RariTwi

Word Count: 11,000 Words
Version: 2.6

Rarity reads a romance novel that has a small twist on her expectations. This spirals out of control and she finds herself fixated on Applejack, of all ponies.

Is the book to blame, or is it something else?

Confined to a hospice bed, Fluttershy has very little to do except remember. Prompted by a poster from more than fifty years ago, she begins reminiscing about Rarity, and the circumstances that led to her romantic feelings for the unicorn being never reciprocated the way she would have wanted them to be. Her remembrances slowly lead her to confrontation with a question that has lingered in her head since Rarity died--what becomes of a pony after death?

Inspired by the song “She Was the World to Me”, by Daniel Romano. Chapter titles are from the lyrics.

Editing and pre-publication assistance by Merrick, Midnight Blaze, ZaRaapini, and Norm De Plume.

Cover art by Magello.

Night One

"Why is she standing out there? What does she want?"

Night Two

"There's something off about her...."

Night Three

"That's not Fluttershy..."

Ever since she stopped Sombra and saved the Crystal Empire, Twilight Sparkle has taken an interest in dark magic. Princess Celestia catches wind of her student's interests, and tells her exactly why dark magic is not to be trifled with.

Image was used with permission.

Rainbow Dash invites Fluttershy to watch the fireworks display with her on New Year's Eve. While there, they discuss their new year's resolutions.

However, what starts off as a simple conversation about resolutions turns into something more personal.

Edited by James Fire.

While not Fluttershy's stare, Sonata standing there gives people a scare. What thoughts did she forbear, not many would care. So why does she stare without fanfare? Patience we must bear in understanding this affair.

Elements of the Jongojiverse can you compare, but canon this doesn't share.

Third Place Entry for Harms Way's 1,000 Follower Contest

When I first met Princess Twilight, she was confused, lost. Adrift in an alien world. I thought of her as a rich eccentric, certainly a foreigner. I humored her as much as I believed her, really. Even when she dragged me to the very ends of the world in her mad quest for a mythic well, I really did it all for her. I figured it would help her find some closure, and we could go home.

I was right, in a way.

Based roughly on the game 80 Days.

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