The princess's fanatical student. A startlingly honest bootlegger. A prissy high-class escort. A traitor caught between two loyalties. A hyperactive pyromaniac. A quiet assassin who can kill with a word.

The night that has covered Equestria for a thousand years might just be coming to an end. And all of these familiar faces will be engulfed in the war between a victorious Nightmare Moon and her sister, returned from a millennium of exile.

Even as the sun rises, the situation has never seemed so dark.

This story was edited, preread, and otherwise improved by Einhander, Comrade Sparkle, CartsBeforeHorses, Spigo, and IR Pony.

This story is a sequel to Hatred

Many ponies think they know Princess Celestia. She's kind, warm, a giver and protector, much like the sun itself. What many ponies don't know is that Princess Celestia isn't as put together as ponies think she is. Actually, she's barely holding on, and during the day meant to celebrate the day she met someone important to her, someone she wants badly, she finally hits her limit and breaks down.

If she were a normal pony, this would be okay. But she's not. She's an alicorn. And Princess Luna fears that she could fall into a darkness very much like she did, becoming something much worse than Nightmare Moon. Desperate to save her sister before she falls into her darkness, she reaches out to the one pony she feels knows Celestia the most.

Her former student.

Now its up to Twilight to help Celestia in her darkest time. She's never seen Celestia in such a state, and seeing her so devastated scares her almost as much as the idea of her becoming something worse than Nightmare Moon. What she doesn't know is that the shadow around Celestia is getting stronger, and its taking the form of someone from her past. Will Twilight be able to protect her former teacher from this darkness?

Twilight needs a new job in Canterlot after leaving her librarian position at Crystal Preparatory Academy. While preparing for her interview, she meets a striking and helpful barista. How far are either willing to risk their jobs for each other?

Took 2nd place in the 9th Bimonthly Twilestia Contest

When a colt named "Bad Dude" storms into Celestia's personal study and declares himself as her latest arch enemy, the Princess can't help but nearly gush from the sight. As perhaps the cutest villain Celestia has ever encountered, she hurriedly calls for Luna to meet him as well.

But is there more to "Bad Dude" than his cute exterior would suggest?

No. No there is not.

Now with a youtube reading! HERE!

Before Twilight came to Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship, she was under the primary care of Princess Celestia. Every night before bedtime, the two would sit by the fire, and read tales from a very special little story book 'The Legendary Fairy Tales of Equestria'.

This book follows those nights spent at Canterlot Castle with, ur narrator for these stories is of course, none other than the glorious princess herself! It's time for bed, curl up and sit by the fite with Celestia and Twilight in this lovely little book "Goodnight Twilight Sparkle".

How can this be true? When the sun was later in rising than it should have been, Princess Luna became concerned for her older sister. No pony had seen her since Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's reception had ended late the night before. However when Luna went to urge the moon down hoping to nudge Celestia into completing the cycle, her magic brushed against an aura she had hoped and prayed to never glimpse again.

Had her inability to protect the ponies she cares so deeply for, driven Princess Celestia to do... The unthinkable?

For years, Twilight Sparkle and Queen Chrysalis have been at each other's throats. Both have experienced victory over the other, and both have experienced defeat. Out of all the creatures in Equestria, none despise each other the way the pony Princess and changeling Queen do. They seemed destined to remain locked in battle forever, or at least until one is finally dead at the hooves of the other. The cruel insults, the vicious loathing, and the powerful spells that have passed back and forth between them at each meeting have become the stuff of legend.

Imagine Twilight's surprise when she finds out changelings consider this dating.

And now they're married.

***

Sequel: Pony Courtship Rituals

***

Some beautiful fanart of the end of chapter three was done by Dmann892; you can see it here.

More awesome fanart, this time from chapter one.

Now with a TvTropes page (obligatory TvTropes warning goes here).

If you want a Russian translation, you can find it here.

There is now a reading of the story on Youtube, which starts here.

After two years of study under Princess Celestia's tutelage, Twilight Sparkle submits a culmination of what she's learned. When her paper is rejected, she realizes that revisions are in order: revisions to her understanding of herself, and revisions to her thesis.

Equestria Daily

Twilight Sparkle, brand new alicorn princess has a problem. Her cutie mark is charred into her floor. If you're Twilight though any problem can become a solution! What better way to study the effects of the Elements of Harmony?

If only she hadn't heard it...

Edited and preread by Primey, Zodiac, and ZOMG

"They are coming for you, princess: the rising and the setting sun, the dragonslayer and the black flame, the raven and the glimmering star. I have seen them in the fires and in the smoke. I have seen them in my dreams, and darker things besides. They come for you, and seek your fall."

Once upon a time, Dawn Starfall and Sunset Shimmer were rivals for the affections of Princess Celestia, and for the fame and power promised to whomever won the glorious destiny for which they competed. But Sunset left, and Dawn's dreams turned to ash as she had to watch the prize and the princess' love stolen away by another: Twilight Sparkle.

Dawn's life is in ruins, her friends are scattered, her ambitions are all but dead; until one final injury makes her angry enough to want to get back at the mare who ruined her life.

Unbeknownst to Twilight or Dawn, Sunset Shimmer has returned from the human world, with that world's versions of Dawn and Sunset in tow. Human!Dawn wants to find the world promised to her in the books she used to escape her life, Human!Sunset wants to burn it down.

And in the shadows the Raven Queen watches, waits, and makes her plans.

As Canterlot is consumed by the chaos they have unleashed, Dawn and Sunset may have to put their old rivalry aside and work together, and maybe in doing so Dawn can finally repair the shattered pieces of her life.

This is a rewrite of my earlier fic Vengeance of Dawn but I think the changes are substantial enough as to qualify as a rewrite from the ground up as specified in the content guidelines.