Sunset Shimmer never intended to hurt anyone. She simply had a dream of who she wanted to be. And nothing's more gut-wrenching than realizing real life simply doesn't include your life-long dream...

An origin story for Sunset Shimmer, as a basis for her episode of the Not Exactly Friends series. (Note: I treat the comics backstory as helpful guidance here, rather than canon.)

For more in this timeline, see: Sunset -- Part II

If you should see a lavender airship in your sky, hurry to get on board. You don't want to miss being part of Equestria's future, aboard Princess Twilight's School of Friendship...

Princess Twilight's Friendship School proposal has been denied even preliminary approval by the EEA. Fortunately Tempest Shadow and her fleet of warships are back in town, and Tempest has a somewhat unorthodox idea for how Twilight can get around this. Plus, we find out more about how each of the Young Six came to be enrolled at the School. And Starlight ends up with a much better job...

AU reboot of the start of season 8, and sequel to Reformation... It's a Pony Thing.

Tempest Shadow finds the path of reformation is not easy for her... it just doesn't feel right. Then she learns of a disquieting trade going on in the Southlands... and then a close friend is ponynapped... and she discovers exactly the kind of pony she is meant to be.

Sequel to MLP: The Movie, covering Tempest's reformation and also tying up loose ends in the movie and prequel comic.

User Spaniard Kiwi was kind enough to post a Spanish translation over on DeviantArt -- check it out!

For more fun with Tempest Shadow, see the Nightmare Night story,
Nightmare Fight.

This story's timeline is also continued into Season 8 by Twilight's Pirate School.

This story is a sequel to Not Exactly Friends

On a dark night, in a gathering storm, Tempest waits to walk Twilight back to her room... and is almost certain that something is out there, watching her...

For more of this AU, see: Without Your Cutie Mark

And also check out the series, beginning with Not Exactly Friends.

There's a new filly in Celestia's school, who finds making friends difficult. She's seated next to a filly who could care less about making friends. Neither is exactly friend material... but sometimes you just have to take a risk...

For more of this AU, see:

Series 1:

• Not Exactly Friends
• Shelter of the Storm
• Without Your Cutie Mark
• Never Any Doubt
• Sunset -- Part I and Part II
• Saving Sunset Shimmer
• By the Light of the Moon
• Trixie Luna Moon
• Ring Around the Moon -- Part I and Part II

Series 2:

• A Canterlot Engagement
• The Restless Princess
• Where Trouble Goes
• Meet the Sparkles
• Who Needs Enemies -- Part I and Part II
• The Visiting Team -- Part I
• The Visiting Team -- Part II
• What Nightmares Fear
• Hearth's Warming, AP Class

Twilight Sparkle discovers that the alternate timelines created by Starlight Glimmer in her misguided attempt at revenge did not, in fact, disappear when the original timeline was restored. Instead, they persisted as separate, parallel universes.

Never one to leave a job unfinished, she decides to employ the magic of friendship to restore those universes to a more harmonious state.

She begins with Nightmare Moon.

This story is the first in a series. The other stories can be found below.

1. For Want of a Horseshoe <-- you are here
2. A Big Brother's Duty
3. Healing

Cover art provided by the excellent Sini.

This story is a sequel to Leading Causes

Twilight Sparkle has more than a little anxiety about Spike's upbringing. In the wake of the Molt and the Sludge fiasco, those anxieties are clearer and stronger than ever. Like any good caretaker, she took advantage of an opportunity to learn more about dragons, including their needs and, most importantly, their vulnerabilities.

What started as a casual conversation about death for Smolder spiraled out of control into a full-fledged princess freakout, one that she is in the middle of. When it becomes clear that her teachers are completely hopeless when it comes to dragons, it's up to her to take Spike under her wing and teach him what they can't, one lesson at a time.

After a surprising number of requests for a sequel to "Leading Causes", I finally came up with something of a quasi-anthology of Smolder's lessons to Spike. While I do have a fair number of ideas, expect sizable gaps between updates.

Rated for academic descriptions (but no depictions) of death, and possible future scenes of hunting and fishing at a level slightly too mature for an E rating. Warning tags may be added later if I, or any commenters, feel they're needed.

This story is a sequel to Tantabus Communication Protocol

What started with laziness and a tiny slip-up in arcane intelligence creation has blossomed into its own being. With Luna's blessing, the second Tantabus is free to flit around the dreamscape as it pleases, unburdened by oversight. And what pleases it is making good dreams. Who couldn't be happy by making others happy?

As the Tantabus settles into its life, its horizons keep expanding, forever revealing more of the world and of ponies. There's always new things to learn. New dreams to spice up. New nightmares to beat down. New ponies to help. New ponies to annoy.

Don't tell Luna about that last part.

Cover art by Harwick.

The failed invasion of that mad queen, Chrysalis, rocked the changeling community. From the hives nestled outside Equestria, to their kin living in peace within, they watch those colorful ponies eye one another with suspicion and let themselves be swallowed by fear and distrust.

A gamble by Princess Celestia has summoned forth the diplomat to the Seekers, the one changeling who may be able to ease tensions between their races and restore balance. The Bearer of Magic has been summoned after a century of peace.

And, like her mother before her, Princess Twilight Sparkle will answer the call.

Preread by Alto, Cynewulf, and Timaeus.
Cover art by FoughtDragon01, used with permission.

This story is a sequel to Sparkles and Scales

Twilight Sparkle may have achieved her dream of getting into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns (even after being turned into a dragon), and became the personal student of the Princess herself, but those are only the first steps on a much longer road.

Still ahead of her are her first days at her new school, trying to make new friends, understanding her changed biology, being a big sister, and discovering just what some ponies think of her new species.

She has a long way to go before she can rediscover the Elements of Harmony. These are just some of the events on the way.

Custom cover artwork by Queen Cold

This anthology gets new chapters somewhat irregularly. Check the 'Current Progress' section of my profile to see how things are progressing on future chapters.

If you like what I do, you can support me on my Pateron.