***Light Dark: For scenes dealing with ponies' fears.  Nothing gory or overly traumatizing.***

Celestia receives a letter from Shining Armor and Cadence, asking for her help in destroying an artifact of dark power.  Luna volunteers to go to the Empire, and takes along a single pony from both the royal and lunar guards.  Their task becomes dangerous, as they discover that the artifact has a sinister intelligence directing its actions.  The trio, along with a crystal pony, is pulled into a deadly struggle, not only for their lives, but for the fate of the Crystal Empire.

After Applejack and Spike's run in with the timber wolves, Twilight writes to Celestia about their adventures.  Celestia sends a return letter, asking Twilight to find out more about the wolves.  Twilight turns to Fluttershy and Zecora for help with her task.  The trio head deep into the Everfree Forest, and discover that there is much more to the timber wolves that anypony ever would have thought.

After seeing Luna at the Nightmare Night festival in Ponyville, one pony's dreams become haunted by nightmares of her banishment.   His efforts to overcome these nightmares, and the overzealous help of a young dragon, cause him to be summoned before the two celestial sisters.  From them, he learns that Luna's stay on the moon was not a punishment, but a sacrifice to protect all of Equestria.

Swift Message has a good life.  He has a job he enjoys, a home, and a mare he is lucky enough to call his special somepony.  When he becomes aware of the changeling threat to Canterlot, he tries to warn those in power without drawing attention to himself.  While his warning is heeded, the defenses readied against the threat prove to be inadequate with the appearance of Chrysalis.  This is the story of his struggles to protect the mare he loves during the invasion, and the trials he faced after his identity was revealed during the final moments of the attack.

Even Trade has been pushed out of her business, locked out of her home, and has had her family ties severed.  Remembering a promise made by Sturdy Bookend, she arrives in Ponyville hoping that his offer for aid still stands.  She finds more than a safe haven in Ponyville; she finds a new town to call home.

This story follows the events in To Fear the Sun.  While reading the previous story is not needed to enjoy this one, I recommend that they be read in sequence.