Daring Do finds an artifact that does... something. She just doesn't know what.

As an archeologist with a reputation to uphold, she is determined to figure out what, precisely, it does. Twilight Sparkle might just be able to assist in this endeavor.

Or maybe they'll both panic about not knowing together. That works too.

This story is a sequel to Sweetie Belle Gains a Soul

The tyranny of Sombra leaves behind a dangerous artifact. Nopony in their right mind would even think of tampering with such a horrific legacy.

Trixie, however, is not your average pony. Where others see insanity, she sees opportunity. Assuming that Sombra’s magical charm works as intended, she’s going to get even with Twilight once and for all.

Twilight Sparkle was only a filly when Equestria detected the enigmatic Signal. A series of increasingly complex mathematical proofs, the Signal transformed from an intriguing curiosity to reliable evidence of extraequestrian life.

And as it happened, Equestria's exploration of their own solar system was nearly complete. With colonies orbiting every planet and large body, and an asteroid belt filled with miners and prospectors, Twilight's civilization was just about ready to turn its focus outward. The signal was less than ten light-years away, within reach of a daring, experimental voyage. A voyage Twilight Sparkle would lead.

Along with a small crew of the most skilled scientists and engineers Equestria could offer, Twilight is determined to uncover the mystery of the Signal, and brave the final frontier for future generations of Equestrian explorers.

A comment-driven, CYoA story. Please use the links provided in the author's notes of each chapter to vote, rather than the comments.

This story is a creative experiment of mine, one meant to explore the general idea that creativity is often most fostered by restrictions. As a result, I've imposed a number of restrictions on the writing of this story, which I'm stating explicitly here so I can be called out if I break any of them.

1. Brevity is the soul of wit
No chapter may be more than 1000 words long. This wordcount only includes prose, and not the questions/rolls.

2. Every choice matters
When a choice is offered in a chapter, at least one sub-optimal choice must be present, with no indication about which is which other than the prose itself. Every chapter should end with a CYoA-style decision tree when possible.

3. Fate is cruel and the universe is heartless
The decision of the vote must be respected. This means any character could be killed, or the entire story could end in failure, if that's what the votes decide. Where numbers, stats, and randomization appear in the text, these elements are not verisimilitude, but are decided by public diecrolls in my discord server.

Note: Because of the unusual production of this story, its chapters won't be edited in the same way as my usual fare. Feel free to point out any mistakes you encounter.

Awesome cover by Zutcha as you can probably tell. Editing stuff by Two Bit and Sparktail, where applicable.

There's nothing quite like a bad idea whose time has come. With ponies, all it can take is one charismatic idiot with an audience: for cattle, the 'charisma' part is optional. The young bulls among Applejack's tenants have gotten ahold of a truly bad idea, and all she wants to do is stop it before anyone really gets hurt.

Which means she's taking on the power of hormonal idiocy.

...it's probably time to bring in a friend.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

Lyra thinks Discord is an idiot for not thinking to dodge when the Elements of Harmony were about to strike him. Discord thinks this is the perfect opportunity for a game.

Part of the Borderworld.

Now with audio reading by Dreamless Portal. Chinese and Spanish translations also available.

It's a simple request, really. Can't they do just a little more for Ponyville, especially when they consider all the things they've done to Ponyville and how this might help to pay for some of the damages? It's just spending a few hours at the town's street fair, being among the population, making themselves freely accessible --

-- well, not freely. After all, the kisses have to cost something, or how is the money being raised?

Kiss A Bearer For A Bit.
Arrive early. There might be a line.

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

After Pony Magazine declares Twilight Sparkle to be the most eligible bachelorette in all of Equestria, Twilight finds herself buried under a veritable mountain of bouquets and love letters from all corners of the country. Enlisting her friends to separate the chaff from the wheat, each of them try to find a letter from an admirer who might be worthy of Twilight.

But the others are skeptical of Rainbow Dash's choice - a hastily written poem that came with a messy bouquet that somepony hoof-picked and threw together at the last minute. There's no way something like that could have come from a pony worthy of Twilight's love, right?

There is now a Spanish translation of this story, courtesy of Spaniard Kiwi

It's the morning after the 'Ursa Minor' incident. Her caravan destroyed, Trixie fled town with nothing. Twilight gathered the girls together at the library in the hopes of discovering what has become of the magician.

Cover art by BlindCaveSalamander

Twilight Sparkle has a nice lunch with her friend Fluttershy.

A (late) Hearth's Warming present for PsychicKid.

Just before her crowning moment, Twilight Sparkle's life is derailed by a message from Star Swirl with excerpts from his journal that he swears he's never written... at least, not yet.

Commissioned by Archangel of the Silent.

WARNING: Contains Shenanigans!