Princess Celestia has failed.

A thousand years have passed since the greatest tragedy of her long life. A thousand years to search for a way to unlock the truth of the Elements of Harmony, and free her sister from madness. A thousand years wasted.

Now, as the sun sets on the eve of the longest day of the thousandth year, it falls to her to face the darkness once more. Assailed by doubts and fears, Celestia is certain of only one thing: that the sun will rise again.

Even if it means the moon must fall.

Set in the same timeline as the war with Sombra in the Season 5 finale.

"At the end of the game, the King and the Pawn go back into the same box."

In the land of Equestria, there are no differences, no heartache, no progress, no purpose. There is just life, and whatever comes after. Everypony is equal. Starlight Glimmer won, but she may have also lost.

She built the box, but the game is about to end.

Entry for EquestriaDaily's Writer's Training Grounds.

Queen Chrysalis is trying to take over Equestria!

Meanwhile, Berry Punch sleeps in. She's a member of an elite guard, and she sleeps in?! Pinkie doesn't mind, but Bon Bon does. Being an Elite means watching out for Changelings. Is Berry good at what she does?

Sorry for the cheesy description. It's a detailing of one day in Berry Punch's life, does that sounds good to you?

Time after time, through chaos and through wars, Princess Celestia prevailed.

Of all the terrible forces she could have fallen to, Flim Flam Industry was the last one anypony had expected.

With thanks to gardrek for editing (3-6) and PinkieDP, Ice Star, and Odd_Sarge for prereading help.

In the timeline where the Changelings have taken over Equestria, Trixie has managed to find a shadow of her former life as an entertainer in Zecora's camp. She doesn't preform for giant crowds anymore, and while she misses the grandeur, she's managed to live a happy life entertaining the children of the camp with her stories and small tricks.
But all that comes crashing down when Queen Chrysalis and her Changelings attack. Now, Trixie must use every trick she has left to save her small fan club, and especially Ruby. Because Trixie made a promise to Berry Punch, and she won't allow herself to break that promise.

Written for EQD's Writer's Training Grounds

War is brutal. It asks you questions with no right answers. It leaves scars on your body and mind.

War is a game in which you will always lose.

And Rainbow Dash might've just lost everything.

Starlight Glimmer has worked hard to bring about her vision of perfection. Molding ponies to fit where they were supposed to and making them happier for it. Pity no one told her that when they made the Great and Powerful Trixie, they broke the mold.

Twilight Sparkle and her friends were not the first ponies to stumble upon Starlight Glimmer's utopia. They weren't the first ponies to rock the foundations of her perfect society, when they rejected Starlight's vision. Yes, they might have been the ones to shatter her vision, but the cracks were formed well before then...

...By the most annoying, abrasive, infuriating, stubborn, arrogant hero the world has ever seen.

When the Great and Powerful Trixie rolls into town she's gonna put on an unforgettable show. Whether you like it or not.

Marble decides to briefly come out of her shell and tries something different with Pinkie's hair.

Art not mine.

[ Inspired off Season 5 Finale - Nightmare Moon Verse ]
Social reject, blank flank, and failed candidate for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight Sparkle's life couldn't get anymore depressing even if she tried. Yet still she looks to the other things in her life to get by, such as her job selling donuts at Joe's Bakery, her best friend Smarty Pants, as well as her inspiration to someday be as great as The Great and Powerful Trixie herself! Life isn't as bad as it may seem, and she enjoys the simplicity of her daily routine, the peace of her recluse world. That is until suddenly she is targeted by the current ruling body of Equestria, Nightmare Moon herself!? Perhaps she spoke too soon. Better run Twilight, destiny is calling!

Ever since Sombra's defeat, the Crystal Empire has revered "the Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious" as a hero and a savior. When he (and guests) are invited to the first Crystal Ball in over a millennium, Twilight expects to hear that endearingly overblown title all night.

She's half-right.

A refined entry in the November 2014 Writeoff Competition. Prompt: "Title Drop." Takes place between Seasons 4 and 5.