Twilight Sparkle has ascended to alicornhood and been crowned as the Solarian Empire's fourth alicorn princess. Her friends and family have welcomed this change with open arms. However, not every citizen feels this way.
Twilight Sparkle, having been elevated to a very high spot in Imperial politics in a short amount of time, now faces new enemies, both in the nobility and amongst the average citizens.
When an assassination attempt on Twilight Sparkle fails during her Coronation Banquet, how will the Empire react to this?
The most important question is this: How far will Twilight's friends and family go to save her from a terrible fate?

This story is divided into three parts, or acts. Act Two is divided into two parts:
Act One: Impact
Act Two, Part One: Expedition to The Black Library
Act Two, Part Two: Chaotic Defense
Act Three: Any Means Necessary

The "Crossover" tagging will become apparent later on, if it isn't already obvious.
Rated Teen for mild gore and mild language.
Note: The events of Seasons 1-5 happen in an entirely different order in this timeline, with some never even occurring.

This story is a sequel to Welcome Home, Twilight Sparkle!

Warning: This is a direct sequel to "Welcome Home Twilight Sparkle!" and it is strongly advised you read that story (and maybe the prequel) first. Or don't. I don't care. I'm not your real father anyway.

It's been a year since the events of "Welcome Home, Twilight Sparkle!", what have our little humans been up to? How have their lives changed, and is it for the better?

This story is a sequel to Remembering a grim past.

Pinkie Pie, party planner, Element of Laughter, friend to many, and the mare who breaks the fourth wall ALL the time.

A dark secret has been hidden from the world, but the one who holds the secret doesn't even know of its existence.

But soon, very soon, something will change in the pink mare, and it may be impossible to save her, or will it?

Rainbow Dash really regrets destroying the Weather Factory. Like, a lot. It's been about a week since it happened, but she's still doing all she can to repair her reputation and have everypony stop hunting her down.

She's been given an out though, and it's pretty easy. All she has to do is fly from one end of Equestria to another, then fly back. If she wins, she's free from all moral and financial debt. If she loses, she'll have to clean up all of winter by herself for the next three years. No big deal for the fastest flyer in Equestria. Except it's a race, which also isn't that big of a deal. It's not the large amount flying that'll bother her, nor will the fact she has competition.

What bothers her is who she's racing.

There's nothing more comforting than a mother's love, but even that can't chase away every monster that comes in the dark.

Warning: although there's nothing graphic, this fic contains sensitive and potentially upsetting subject matter. It may be considered a spoiler for Three Steps Back. Read at your own risk!

Exactly what the title says. "A Bunch of Short Stories About Ponies" is pretty accurate. First few prompts from MissLunaRose on dA, here: http://misslunarose.deviantart.com/art/I-Have-Writer-s-Block-202101884

NOTE: This takes place in an AU for some, for example:

The first one takes place in a Crazy Inventor! Twilight AU, where she isn't a princess (YET....)

Princess Celestia, the majestic ruler of Equestria, is known for being almost a god among mortals. She saved the land from the likes of Discord and Nightmare Moon over a millennium ago. Peace was maintained throughout that millennium, and very few things ever even threatened to disturb it. It wasn't until the return of these great foes that peace would once again be threatened. However, it wasn't Princess Celestia who saved the day, it was Twilight Sparkle. Time and time again the student of the very princess saved the day from great evil. Eventually, she conquered an impossible spell and fulfilled her destiny as the Princess of Friendship. More evil would show its ugly head from time to time, but Twilight was always there to stop it. Perhaps this was how it was always meant to be?

A conspiracy theorist and a genius only have one substantial difference, one of them is proven to be right. Perhaps we haven't been looking at these "tests" close enough. Perhaps we only see what we are meant to see. Perhaps this newspaper article is going to get me fired. But I'm not crazy! I know it's the truth, and I'll prove it one day, if it's the last thing I do!

I hope you all enjoy, because you aren't getting anything else out of me without reading the prologue.

No one makes it through life unchallenged. For every person there comes a time when the world hurts them, betrays them, or calls on them for something great. It is in those dire moments that six mares will learn just what they are made of.

Sometimes the best medicine isn't for the body. It is for the soul.

[Second place finisher in the March Writeoff competition.]

Things I write when I get really bored and have nothing at all better to do but sit on my *** and think of these.

There's a creature with a journalist mentality in Equestria, going around asking various characters for stories about them to share with his people.

But there's something about him that seems a little off, almost like he's hiding something from everyone. Something important.