When Starlight Glimmer discovers a locked door in Twilight's castle, she is determined to find out what Twilight is hiding. But Starlight soon discovers that some things are best left hidden. This story was my entry for the Forbidden Knowledge writeoff competition.

It's been five thousand years since the Summit of the Gods was last hosted in Equestria, and after dropping off Discord in Ponyville, Celestia returns to Canterlot Castle to meet with the entire Norse Pantheon. Before she can arrive, though, she's stopped by a guard with a strange message, sent on the behalf of a mysterious figure from her past.

Now available as an audiobook! Reading by Illya Leonov.

Now with a Russian translation!

Cover picture by Sonson-Sensei.

While hanging out with her friends, Sunset Shimmer learns that earth horses apparently can't vomit.

As a magical talking pony, this discovery utterly baffles her.

Proofread by the ever helpful RQK

"Hey, you used to be Celestia's student, right? Did you know Sunset Shimmer?"

Twilight Sparkle is an expert in unicorn magic, but earth pony magic remains a mystery to her. The books in her library have very little information about the earth tribe's abilities, other than their famous strength. Twilight is determined to uncover their secrets.

What she learns will change her life.

And it just might change Applejack's life as well.

Featured on Equestria Daily.

While trying to make her family tree, Rainbow Dash finds her mother's family totally missing from public records. Maybe with Twilight's help, she'll learn something about her ancestry.

SPOILERS IN COMMENTS:
DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS UNTILL AFTER YOU READ THE STORY.

Editing and creative help from BionicBrony

Just because the two sisters have led Equestria through thousands of years of peace doesn't mean there aren't those who think they can do better.

With a powerful artifact on their side, a group of rebels has sealed Celestia in her palace and stripped her of the majority of her powers. As the last of her guards fall, she hears the pounding on the throne room doors and knows the end is coming soon...

**Featured on the front page on 8/12/15; both surprising and flattering seeing as how this is the first thing of substantial length I've posted here. Thanks all!

**Now with a dramatic reading!

During her studies in the Canterlot archives, Twilight Sparkle makes a startling discovery - Star Swirl the Bearded, the most famous unicorn in Equestrian history, had a son! Tracing the family line down the centuries, Twilight is ecstatic to discover a direct descendant of Star Swirl is still living today. She sets out to meet this "Beatrix Lulamoon", who surely is a great and powerful unicorn worthy of her heritage with a wealth of ancestral knowledge to share... isn't she?

Dramatic reading by Goombasa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bECfAkLDoSM

After several years spent amongst the dragons, Spike returns to Canterlot to take an entry exam at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Individuals. His old friend is there to witness it, and she is not too happy with what she sees.

In the magical land of Equestria, two alicorn sisters raise the Sun and the Moon every day to give the world a night and day cycle, basic for the survival of life. There are also two alicorns who rule over two very core aspects of life and harmony itself. Those are Love and Friendship. While not as ancient as the two sisters, all princesses are essential to the world's balance.
This balance is also sustained by the hard-working ponies, who make the seasons change and manage the weather to fit their needs, so everypony has enough food and water, and every animal is also attended to assure that any of them are caught in the changes of seasons.

But what about the planet itself? What about Mother Nature?
This is the question that Gaia asks when she arrives to this foreign world. After so much work her son persuaded her to take a long vacation in Equestria, saying that she needed one and assuring her that he would be in charge now, and she must take a break. But what can a several billion-year old alicorn possibly do to pass her time in this land?

(SimEarth/MLP Crossover)
(Timelife of Gaia's life 'till the start of the story)