What began as a studious endeavor into the origins of tribal magic quickly becomes rife with bedraggled exhaustion as a strange message invades Twilight's dreams, forcing her research to take a drastic new course that leads her on an adventure all across Equestria. For every answer she finds, yet more mysteries arise. What is the source of the daunting dreams which plague her at every moment's rest? Will she see with eyes unclouded... or lose sight of what's truly important?

Written by PsychicKid
Edited by Ember Heartshine
Cover art by Prince-Lionel (http://Prince-Lionel.deviantart.com)
Cover text, insert music, & special thanks: Cadenza Heartsong (https://www.youtube.com/c/Heartsong)
Pre-reader chapter 31: Floral Spring

Links to my story's music can be found below. They are intended to be paired with certain chapters/sections of the story, and emphasize a specific location, so give them a listen for extra ambience! Their paired chapters are indicated by the link URL. All songs produced by Cadenza Heartsong.

Amethyst Hollow - Chapters 7-9

Peacegrove Village - Chapters 12-19

Cloudsbane - Chapters 25-27

Takes place after S7/The Movie, but before S8. Story was drafted when S8 was brand new, so it does not take anything from S8 and later into account.

Luster Dawn is a unicorn filly enrolled at Princess Twilight's School for Gifted Unicorns. After only a year, in which she displayed her exemplary use of magic and expertise at fostering friendships, it would come only as a surprise to her that Princess Twilight Sparkle would offer her the role of being her personal student. Whilst such a thing should have been an honour for the young filly, she can't help but let the stress of carrying such a title weigh heavy on her haunches.

Fortunately, her mother, who isn't the best when it comes to all things emotional, is there to lend her a hoof.

Cover Art Source
THIS WAS A COMMISSION
A big thank you to Ice Star for both commissioning and proof-reading this fic. Additional thanks to Pre-reader 63.546 for pointing out several glaring issues, all of which are now (hopefully) fixed.
Featured 11/03/2020 (03/10/2020 for Americans.) Thank you so much everybody.
Massive thanks to StraightToThePointStudios for the audio reading, which you can find [HERE]

Banded Agate and his family flee across the snow-swept wasteland to escape their life of slavery in the Crystal Empire under King Sombra.

One thousand years later, a group of ponies arrives in the Empire with a story to tell.

Written for Everfree Northwest's Scribblefest 2017 Contest. Winner of the coveted Fluttershy Award!

Shining Armor and Cadance attend a Nightmare Night party in Canterlot, where they reconnect with Twilight Sparkle.

Written for the "Spoopy October Incest Contest!" for "Incest is Wincest."

After beating the Templars, the Apple of Eden explodes and takes Ezio to the outskirts of Ponyville, which is the front line where the Assassins and Templars fight regularly in a war for Luna and Celestia, respectively. He can’t catch a break, can he?

A collaboration with RCharge. Go check out their stuff!

EDIT: 27/02/20 I can’t believe it! This story got featured after six hours of existence! Thank you all so much!

EDIT: 13/04/20 Oh my god. This is amazing. It’s been featured again! Thank you everyone that reads this story!

EDIT: 17/09/20 It took all of ten seconds for this to get featured again. Wow, thank you everyone!

The battle is over. 

Chrysalis and her co-conspirators have lost, against all odds, defeated once again by the power of friendship (and overwhelming numbers). For their crimes they find themselves imprisoned in stone, petrified and locked away, and it seems as though their punishment will last forever.

But the new Princess of Equestria isn’t finished with them just yet.

Rainbow Dash's mom receives a letter about her daughter's heroism in combat. Now she sits, shaking and trying her best to keep it together as she reads the letter at the kitchen table with tears coursing down. Her daughter was a hero. Was. You see, Captain Rainbow "Danger" Dash of the 91st Wing...isn't coming home.

EDIT: I was contacted and a brony (Seal2001) did a translation of it in Chinese. It's beautifully done and I think it deserves some love. You can find it in the following link
https://fimtale.com/t/10016/ta-shi-ying-xiong

It took about two years of collaboration between Princess Cadence and Twilight to create the spell, the first of it's kind: A spell to allow two mares to bear a child together. And Twilight, obviously, was the first in line to test it.

But reporters aren't known for their respect of privacy, much less for a newborn princess. Between news ponies using increasingly invasive methods to get the smallest scraps of information, a baby with too much buck to her, and packed working schedules, Twilight and Applejack have an uphill battle to protect their new daughter- And their sanity.

Princess Twilight Sparkle has overseen peace and prosperity throughout Equestria for as long as ponies can remember. During a quiet evening, Twilight tells the tale of her many adventures to her latest student and how she remembers her friends long passed.

But she can't tarry too long, for she has a long-overdue meeting to attend.

*Takes place a couple of centuries after the end FIM*

Edited by the absolutely fantastic Helping Hoof who helped tremendously in getting this story together.

Art is owned and created by kurogewapony All credit for it is belongs to them.

After dying in a train crash, Twilight finds herself offered a deal by the Reaper: a game of chess for her soul. Twilight accepts, but there's something off about the game. Something she can't put her hoof on.

But the answer to that question is just perfect for who she is.

Cover art is from the Poets of the Fall album Clearview.