[A/N: This story is a direct sequel to "The Stars of Darkness" and "Of Thistles and Honey"- if you have not read these stories, this one might not make much sense!  Have some links!  

"The Stars of Darkness"

"Of Thistles and Honey" ]

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I have wondered many times if I should just stay here.  Here, in this forest that is now my home... locked safely away from the rest of Equestria, the rest of the world, where I cannot do any harm to anypony.  Here in the forest I can live my life in seclusion; I have all the food I need in the wild berries and other edibles that grow here, and with my magic I can make them last as long as I need.  I have built a hut that serves well as a home, and there is a stream nearby for water.  It is peaceful here... and I wonder if I should stay.

Staying here, I could ensure that nopony ever suffers again at my hooves- that I am truly able to regain the control I once had over myself, and live the rest of my days in comfort and solitude...

...but I am restless... and in my heart I know I cannot stay.

She waits for me... so I must go.

Rarity prides herself on her work, and when letters start pouring in from Canterlot after the Royal Wedding she is overjoyed by the enthusiasm for her dresses.  Drawing on her friend Fancy Pants, she is able to set up a temporary shop in Canterlot for one month, where she will do her best to turn out as many dresses and outfits as she possibly can.

She swears to Twilight and her friends that she won't fall for the allure of the big city again, and that Ponyville won't have to go long without her... but once there, she is quickly swept up in the grandeur and glamour of post-Wedding Canterlot.  Her clients are rich, prestigious and famous, with clout and influence to burn...

...but it is one mare, a simple gray earth pony, who catches her attention.  She doesn't behave like the rest- she is quiet, yet when she speaks she is witty and clever, not dull and droll like the others.  She dodges Rarity's questions about her artfully, which only piques the white unicorn's interest and nigh-on forces her to dig deeper into the community to find out about this mysterious mare named Octavia.

But what does she hope to find?  Why is she so driven to find out more about the gray earth pony musician... and what will she do with the information she gleans?

[A/N: This story is a direct sequel to the story "Stars of Darkness"- if you haven't read that fic, it can be found here ]

By all accounts, Wild Wings should be very happy with how things in his life have turned out.  He and his friends Shooting Star and Morninglight have been freed from any influence of the Elements of Destruction, thanks mostly to the Elements of Harmony blasting them (almost) into oblivion.  He's got his old job back as one of Luna's Generals, and even some new friends to be around- especially Rainbow Dash, against whom he races almost constantly.  He survived something that should have claimed his life, and is ready to get this whole "second chance" thing well and truly started...

...but something's bothering him.  Something that is nestled so deep in his heart that he can't shake it, something that is frustrating him to the point of everypony around him asking if they can help.

But can he find the courage to admit his fears... to tell them all that despite being given this second chance, he may have already destroyed what he wanted the most out of it?  Or the courage to admit to himself that the beautiful mare he can't stop thinking about may want nothing to do with him... and that the family he so longs for may have already slipped through his hooves?

Luckily for Wild Wings, he has some very good friends- from an excitable filly to the Moon Princess herself- who are more than willing to help him in his time of need.  But will they be enough to get him to confront the one pony in Equestria who he most desires to see again?

[Ponies on cover were drawn by this lovely and talented artist .]

The Royal Wedding of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor is an event that will be remembered by ponies for generations to come as not only the day a Princess married a Captain of the Guard, but also the day that the Changelings almost took over Canterlot- a day when the Elements of Harmony and the Princess of Love stood up against the horrifying horde and somehow won a fight that Celestia herself could not.

However, for Fluttershy, it will stand out for a very different reason.

Because it is at the reception after the wedding and after several very strong glasses of wine that she is finally, after almost a year of pining in silence, able to speak her feelings aloud for a certain white unicorn of exceptional grace and beauty.  Finally, after a year, she is able to tell Rarity how she feels, to let her heart's desire be seen beneath the sun and moon.  But will Rarity return her feelings the way she hopes... or will clouds of hidden hearts and unspoken words keep her sealed beneath them, unable to reach the beauty beyond?

In Cloudsdale they have a saying- "Every cloud has a silver lining."... but will Fluttershy be able to find it?

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[A/N] This is a fic written for a good friend of mine to showcase a character she designed so beautifully, who is used in the cover page.  This one's for you, Bri- I hope you like it. ^^

Luna's life since her return to the world has been more than she could have hoped for; her sister welcomed her back with open hooves and has done everything in her power to make Luna happy.  On top of that, the Moon Princess has even made some friends in Twilight Sparkle and the ponies from Ponyville.  Luna is the happiest she's been in a very long time, and she can't help but hope that her life has seen the end of its trials.

However... not all remnants of the past are willing to stay there.

One night, high in the mountain capital of Canterlot, Princess Luna is confronted by four ponies who all share a very deep connection to her; and the past that Luna thought was buried forever is suddenly unearthed and threatens not only her new life, but also the lives of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, as well as that of Princess Celestia.

Hatred has come to Equestria, and its power may be more than even the magic of Friendship can endure.

Sequel Stories:

"Of Thistles and Honey"

"The Chronicles of Dark Star: A Blade of Redemption"