Princess Celestia has been dethroned, Princess Luna is missing, and the Elements of Harmony have been sent into exile. But that’s old news.

Four years after a bloody war that raged across the continent of Equestria a supernatural winter rages as ponies try and survive under the rule of a cold ruler.

Twilight Sparkle and her friends have been called back to Canterlot and must now come to terms with the new kingdom that Equestria has become. As they learn to cope events conspire against them that force them back into the fight.

But a single question remains, who will they fight for?

Edited by the awesome TacoTown

Celestia heard it, the movement of a hoofstep, the short breath of a princess before she spoke. The older princess cringed, not wanting to hear her younger sisters words, but hear them at the same time, "Sister," Luna had said, in her royal voice, but very softly spoken, "I wish for you to leave. If I ever see you again," she threatened, "I will call the Elements of Harmony against you." Luna said and finalized.

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When Celestia is exiled from Equestria, from a mistake that wasn't even her fault, she realizes that somepony had framed her to lose her position as princess and fall to the drop dead bottom of the social hierachy. A rogue.

Now, Celestia travels the world from one end to the other end, and finds out things that none of Equestria had ever known, sees hardships of so many people and suffers her own hardships. But throughout all of that, she thinks that being exiled was one of the best things that has happened to her.

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Here's to best pony! *gets shot by the Rupublicans* ;A;
Anyway, I hope you enjoii. :3

Which is better: to be enlightened and miserable or oblivious and content? At what cost can paradise be bought, and at what point does it cease to be worth it?

Two years after Luna’s return from exile, these are the questions that pass through the mind of Princess Celestia each night as she waits. For over a millennia she has waited; waited for the end of war, waited for the return of her sister, and waited for a single dreadful day and the choice that she would have to make.

But she is not the only one who is waiting, nor is she the only one who seeks an end to the coming conflict. Luna and Fluttershy find themselves haunted by the same secret sin, and though they may not be aware of their connection, they must both choose between seeking forgiveness and doing what they know to be right.

Caught up in a labyrinth of breathing shadows and ancient lies, all three ponies must learn how valuable their loved ones truly are, as well as the ultimate cost of living in Harmony.

Disclaimer: I do not know the artist who drew the picture that I chose, but the image suits one of the central themes of the story. Proofread and edited by the wonderful people who are as follows:

The Journeyman
AlicornPriest
Glassed
Inkiepie
iSmartMan

Celestia notices that since her return from the moon, her sister hasn't been acting quite like herself. Though at first she assumes that this is because Luna is upset and broken by her exile, she soon realizes that this isn't consistent with the rest of her behavior.

After some coaxing, Celestia manages to convince her sister to tell her the story of what happened in the years leading up to the Nightmare Moon incident.

I try very hard to remain completely faithful to FiM lore, this story is set during a historical event that is well described in the show, but nothing in Midnight Blue is incompatible with anything described in the book. Instead, besides the story itself, Midnight Blue provides additional history to Equestria between what is described in "hearth's warming eve" and what is described in the first episode.

Midnight Blue is the first of (hopefully) a series known as The Harmony Volumes. I have outlined 2 other stories in the collection, and I will reveal the topics as I release more chapters of Midnight Blue.

Thanks to Nick Carey for editing help

Edit: I didn't realize it until now, but the animation/song "Children of the Night" by Spirit and Lion was fairly strong inspiration for this story. When I first saw it, about a month before starting writing I think, I loved it. But then I forgot about it, but I guess it was still impressing enough upon me to influence my creative mind. I'd like to thank Spirit and Lion for giving me a seed upon which to a large history upon which this story is based.

This story is a sequel to The Fall of Twilight

After Twilight was banished due to false accusations, she fled to a remote town by the name of Grazil. A few weeks have passed since she was banished, and it looked like she would never return home.

But thanks to Pinkie and Chrysalis, they have helped her get back to Ponyville in one piece. But, there's something wrong with the place she once called home.

Her friends are missing, and she fears that there is something beyond her power to beat.

Banishment.
Such a powerful word with such a simple meaning. A word most ponies never hear in their life...
"Twilight Sparkle,"
A simple word meaning to be sent away as a form of punishment...
"You have been proven guilty,"
But I haven't done anything wrong, have I? Anything to deserve to be punished? Being framed? Is that a crime?
"You are banished from Equestria,"
Why would they all just give up on me? I know the truth, but they refuse to hear it. Why won't they just listen?
"You are required to leave at once."
Just listen.
Before war overtakes us all.

Featured-- 3/5/14
Give cover art respect where it is due, meaning this guy.

Twilight didn't know what came over her. At one point, she was having a wonderful tea party with her friends, and the next thing she knew, she was trying to kill the princesses.
This could have something to do with the fact that nopony would listen to her at her brother's wedding, everypony thinking she is crazy, or even the fact that Discord was set free without anypony noticing.
She finds herself at Celestia's court, facing crimes she didn't commit.
"Twilight Sparkle, for stealing the Elements of Harmony, attempting to kill me and Princess Luna, and Betraying everything you were supposed to protect, you are hereby banished from Equestria, never to return!"
Celestia's words continued to ring in her ears as she followed the road out of Equestria. She would never see her friends again.

My entry to The Exiled Competition

Cover art can be found here. It was made by StarlightSpark on DeviantArt.

One thousand years. This was the sentence of Princess Luna's banishment. For one thousand years she was exiled to the moon, everypony knows that. She was cast away from Equestria for trying to rule the land of her big sister. Had she won, I may not be out here today, but in Equestria where we would no longer lurk in the shadows we grew accustomed to. But that is not so, and for the better it isn't. We dwell out here peacefully, and that is the reason I am writing. I am calling out to earth ponies, pegasus, and unicorns alike, so they may hear the true story. The truth that wasn't written in the Equestrian history books. A truth that like a whisper, was swept away by the wind. This is the true story of Nightmare Moon, our Queen.

This story is about; Firstly, how Luna grows up, though that part is very brief. Secondly, it tells about Luna's encounter with Nightmare/Charisma, as well as the big fight between Luna/Nightmare Moon and Celestia plus the other Elements of Harmony. Thirdly it tells of how Charisma and Princess Luna become best friends while on the moon, due to the fact that they were the only two living beings up there. Fourthly it tells of Luna's return to Equestria and her reunion with her beloved subjects and family.

Discord and Celestia are newly wed, and Luna doesn't like it, she has never liked Discord, and Discord has never liked her, she knows that he is up to no good, she is now forced to watch from her Moon-lit prison as Discord reigns chouas over Equestria....
Thanks to Bronyontheway for the cover picture! Look him/her up on Deviantart! You wont be dissipointed!