This story is a sequel to This Second Forever

Twisted by force and enriched by choice. Alike in all ways but the roads they diverged on, they look upon the other. Fear, regret, anger, resent. Hope, pity, searching, respect. The Elements tore them down the roads they now meet on. Altered by the atrocities and the accolades they have brought.

It is their own hearts that brought them upon the diverging road, and it is their own hearts that speak to them now.

This story is a sequel to Forever This Second

Prodding from peers and her highest instructor led Twilight Sparkle to release all the magic she had stolen. What it would do was beyond her, a simple human facing down what was not of her own world. Her research in these matters ran deep; but theory was brought to reality in that one moment.

It was discourse that brought her there, and discourse that filled her mind for the first time.

Spoilers for the ending of "Friendship Games".

Facing down a girl twisted by magic and her own ambition sparked Sunset Shimmer to summon the Elements of Harmony. The very same Elements of Harmony that stopped a girl twisted by magic and her own ambition not long ago.

It was harmony that beat her once, and harmony that filled her mind yet again.

Featured 9/29/2015

Sunny believed the tales. Really believed, in a way that most ponies didn't anymore. About the Elements of Harmony, and about Twilight Sparkle. Back when Equestria had princesses, and was whole, when every creature knew the real power of Friendship. She believed⁠—and she knew that, one day, if she believed hard enough, it could be again.

Elsewhere, distant, Twilight Sparkle watches her would-be student, and frets.

A Russian translation by NovemberDragon is available here. | Русский перевод от NovemberDragon доступен здесь.

A Chinese translation by forgivenlove is available here here. | 这里有forgivenlove的中文翻译。

A reading by ObabScribbler is available here.

Part 1 of Equestrian Scions, which continues with The Dreamer and Me.

A late addition to the "But what happened to Equestria?" story pile.

[04/29/21 - 05/02/21] Featured. That's a first for me. Thank you all so much.

It has been nearly a thousand years since Twilight Sparkle died. Celestia and Luna are gone. The Holy Equestrian Diarchy, ruled by a bigoted and brutal theocracy, has driven ponies apart and divided them along tribal lines. Unicorns are driven from society, feared and hated.

The lessons of friendship, painstakingly written down in the journal of friendship by Princess Twilight and her friends, have been warped and twisted to fit the Diarchy's hateful ideology. But to the average pony, this is the truth and reality of the world they live in, beset on all sides by enemies monstrous and magical.

Emberglow, a young pegasus mare, aspires to join the elite Knights, magically enhanced warriors dedicated to the holy Saints worshiped by the state religion. Can she uncover the lies and deceptions that have led the world to this bitter place?

Thanks to QueenChrysalisForever for prereading Chapters 1-24. Prereader for chapters 29-31 is MrRTS.
Prereading for chapter 34-? by Horsetorian
Additional pre-readers: bananachips/CommissarVulpin, Thought Prism, Chyre
Special thanks to my amazing editor, Cyonix
Cover Art by JodTheCod

Note on timing: I began writing this long before Season 9 aired, so none of those events happened as far as the narrative of this story is concerned.

Come join us on the Rekindled Embers Discord!

Edit: Featured 8/7/20! Yay and Thanks!

This story is a sequel to The Many Deaths of Twilight Sparkle

Twilight has discovered that Alicorns can 'respawn' when they die. Think of the possibilities! She quickly assembles a crack team of scientists* to test the frontiers of this new power.

*IE whoever was willing to respond to a letter asking for 'suggestions of practical uses for the death of an alicorn'.

An unofficial sequel to "The Many Deaths of Twilight Sparkle".

Rated T for references to death and suicide, though in context those things don't really happen.
Featured on 7/6/2020! W00t!
And featured again on 7/20/2020!

A story in which Twilight Sparkle proceeds to die.

Several times.

For science.

Featured July 1st, 2020!

StraightToThePointStudio did a reading. Check it out here!

Chinese translation here.
Russian translation here.

I may not have been the best student, but to be fair I never put in any more effort than necessary. I barely passed my classes not because I was a bad student, but I just didn't care, even when challenged to a duel I didn't even try to win. This time was the last time as I was caught in a bad mood and actually fought back for once, the loser didn't take too kindly to getting curb stomped by a low level mage who's just short of failing all his classes. You can see where that's going.

Some may recognize the cover art from Lord Despair's story, "A Wizard's Tale". I honestly just typed dark mage in google images and it was one of the first that popped up. How could I not?

Featured 10/7/20
Featured 11/14/20, not even up for a minute, damn!
Featured 12/8/21
Featured 8/9/22

Everypony enjoys myths and ponytales, even if they know such things aren't real. Alicorns fighting against a spirit of chaos? An ancient princess trapped in a library under a tree, waiting to be found? Quite enchanting and fantastic tales yes, but nonetheless as fictional as Daring Do and other such stories. At least, that's what Rarity used to think.

She doesn't anymore.

Dedicated to Annuska for being as amazing a writer as she is a friend.

Now a physical book!!!
Patreon!
Based on an old oneshot.
Chapter Art by Arctic Waters // Graphic Design and Typography by Swan Song.

As the Princess of Canterlot, the Mistress of the Sun, and the most beloved ruler of Equestria, it could be assumed that Princess Celestia was the pony who ran Equestria. Few people know that she actually doesn't.

Her assistant, Raven Inkwell, does. And Equestria would be nothing without her.