Applejack and Luna have been dating for some time, and in that time Applejack has watched as Luna tore herself up inside over long held frustrations that never waned. Luna does her best to control those emotions, locking them away in the recesses of her mind, but that may be doing more harm than good.

Applejack wants Luna to air her frustrations before they air themselves, but after so long, Luna simply isn't able to. Every part of her that could, all assertiveness and confidence and anything else that made Nightmare Moon who she was, is locked away too deep to dig out. As she is, Luna has no choice but to bottle it all up.

So, it's time for Nightmare Moon to make a return.

This is set in the same universe as my short story anthology, but it'll stand entirely on its own. There's no need to read any of those other stories, but they are there if you're interested!

Twilight Sparkle's wildest dreams have just been met, and exceeded. Due to an unexpected magical outburst during her entrance exam to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, the Solar Princess herself took an interest and took Twilight on as her personal student.

This was a pleasant shock for Twilight and her family. However, a few months later, a less pleasant shock would reach Twilight in the form of Celestia returning to Canterlot with a new daughter, a freshly adopted pegasus filly named Rainbow Dash. As the two get to know each other, Twilight can clearly see something eating at the self absorbed and competitive filly's mind.

To make matters even more confusing, Princess Celestia is now hiding something. Twilight dares not question it, but it is quite clear that Celestia isn't being wholly open with anypony about her decision to adopt some random orphan.

Could the answers have something to do with the cryptic dream Twilight had the night before she met Rainbow Dash?

**Apparently, this was featured on August 12th, but I slept through that brief window. All the same, I am flabbergasted and humbled!**

Cover Art by the wonderfully skilled Novaintellus

Now with a TV Tropes Page.

This story is a sequel to Rot

After the events in 'Rot', Twilight Sparkle has finally come to terms with her new self. Can she control her new powers? Can she ever have anything close to a 'normal' life again? And what happens when Discord's past mistakes come home to pass judgement on the 'new' Princess of Friendship?

After years of being the runt of the litter (despite having no siblings), Spike finally comes into his own and starts to grow up and mature. The result is a unique bit of magic all his own, or so the theory goes: He awakens one morning to find words hanging overhead that call him [The Gamer], along with powers that let him 'live life as though it were a game'.

How he decides to handle all of this, and where things go from there? That would be a spoiler, and you all know how we feel about spoilers around here...

Frequently asked questions will be answered from time to time, and those answers linked here for the curious:
The First FAQ

Their universe has come to an end, two goddesses sacrifice what is left to make sure it doesn't happen again. But fate lets them start over somewhere else...

Twilight Sparkle was dying because of the magic flare she emitted during her entrance exam to Princess Celestia's school, when she was about to destroy herself along with everypony on the school grounds a deity offered the little filly a deal that would change not just her life but the world itself.

NEW cover art by Lmkyouki

Also thanks to G33kySt3v3 for helping with the editing.

And thanks for those 8K+ views and the 400+ likes

Twilight's team art by Lmkyouki

wow Featured 10-21-2018 ~ TY

Nightmare Moon has returned. Princess Celestia lied and betrayed her star pupil, Twilight Sparkle, leaving her woefully unprepared to fight the Queen of the Night.

But when she fails, rather than disposing of her and the ponies that tried to help her, Nightmare Moon sees an opportunity and a necessity. Having been locked away for one thousand years, who better to help her solidify her rule and keep Equestria from collapsing, all while rubbing it in her sister's face, than her own betrayed pupil?

When Nightmare Moon’s rebellion tore across Equestria, leaving a trail of blood and horror in its wake, Princess Celestia knew that merely banishing her sister wouldn’t be enough. Her army was too powerful, and too bloodthirsty, to be left behind without a leader. When she finally turned the Elements of Harmony against her, she didn’t just banish Nightmare Moon. She banished thousands.

Now they’re in a race against time, to find a way to survive in an environment so alien that every aspect of it is trying to kill them. They face suffocation, freezing, boiling, starvation, radiation, meteorite impacts, low gravity… the list goes on.

Nightmare Moon thought she should be the ruler of all Equestria. Now, in a world nopony was ever meant to survive, her abilities will be put to the ultimate test.

This story now has a hardcover! If you'd like one of your own, you can grab it here: https://starscribe.net/

Editing by the indulgent and patient Two Bit and Sparktail. Coverart by Zutcha.

Note: I intend this story to be as faithful to our current scientific understanding of the moon, and I’ve consulted for help with the aspects outside my technical purview. That said, I fully expect to make decisions that some may see as mistakes, based on their own independent interpretations.

I am a storyteller first, and I realize it’s likely I’ll eventually make a mistake, or an arbitrary decision to simplify the storytelling over accuracy. I’m doing my best here, but this isn’t a NASA white paper. Set your expectations accordingly.

This story was commissioned by Canary in the Coal Mine on my Patreon, feel free to contact me if you’d like one of your own!