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!

Fluttershy readies for the most special day of her life... and then she does it again, and again, and again, while her wives watch on helplessly.

An entry for the Polyship Contest.

Prereading and editing assistance by The Sleepless Beholder, EileenSaysHi, Grand Moff Pony, and my beloved.

Also thank you to The Sleepless Beholder and my beloved for editing assistance with the cover art.

This story is a sequel to CRISIS: A Royal Affair

A mysterious portal appears in the Everfree Forest one afternoon, and Twilight Sparkle and her friends are sent to investigate. The portal transports them to another Equestria, one full of evil and darkness, where they have to fight to survive on the long journey home. A pony named Tick Tock, a guardian of this new world from forces of chaotic magic, offers to find a way to take them home. They make other new friends along the way, but also new enemies, primarily six evil counterparts out for blood.

The central story of the CRISIS-verse. This story takes place during Season 3 of canon, before the Keep Calm and Flutter On episode.

Thanks to Devnator, BeeAre, and The Living Couch who assisted with editing and as creative consultants. Cover art by Starlight Spark.

Check out the TVTropes page, maybe give it some love.

This 'Earth' is so close, and yet so far from anything Twilight described on the other side of that mirror. How is Rarity going to get back to her home when she can't understand anyponybody? And didn't Twilight say she became human, and humans didn't use magic? Yet clearly some did... and that wasn't even counting all the devices that might as well have been magical, as far as Rarity was concerned.

Who knew one strange little gem could cause so many problems? They'd taken it from her after it'd brought her straight into a lab for study, but... If she ever found it again, she was definitely going to let Spike eat it. As soon as she got home. And by Celestia, she was going to get home!

...Will Rarity ever find her way home? Is the gem that brought her to Earth the key, and is there more to the factions maneuvering around her appearance?

To complicate matters, this is an Earth recovering from its first alien invasion (Rarity being technically the second, then). ...Or does that actually explain things? No, no it doesn't. But it will.

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To go with the Teen rating (or rather to explain it) there is light profanity and violence. I don't believe either are at a level where the warning tags are needed, but I'll mention it at least.
There may be some darker, more explicit moments in flashbacks, but I'll save those for Interludes.

This story is a sequel to Dark Matter

The final story of the Savage Skies series.

The world has been saved and the years have passed. But for Dawn Lightwing, not every challenge is behind him. He finds himself faced with something possibly even more difficult than a murderous cult or a mad scientist performing a world-ending experiment, finding what it is that he truly wishes to do with his life. Both Dawn and Scootaloo will go through experiences that challenge their desires for the future and their relationship with each other as they navigate along the final stretch of the convoluted path to adulthood.

This story is a sequel to The Breaking of the Storm

In the wake of Terra Heart's attack on Ponyville, Princess Celestia leads the Royal Guard against the Cult Solar in an effort to eliminate them once and for all. But, while the cat's away, the mice will play. The Noble Court puts their own plan into action, threatening to throw Canterlot and Equestria into chaos. And behind it all, the mysterious Morning Star continues with his plans, which could spell the end of the world.

This story is a sequel to Cold Days and Warm Hearts

The winter passes into spring, bringing with it many changes, both for good and for ill. Dawn Lightwing must contend with the pending disaster as a powerful adversary approaches with designs to end his life. Rainbow Dash finally leaves to join the Wonderbolts, but finds her dreams jeopardized by somepony from the past. Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle and those close to her are drawn further into the machinations of the Noble Court.

Oh...and somepony is planning to destroy the world...probably...maybe...let me get back to you on that...

This story is a sequel to Storm on the Horizon

Story 4 of the Savage Skies series.

It is well-known that the brighter the light, the deeper the shadow. Princess Celestia is unquestionably Equestria's brightest guiding light. Unfortunately, two ponies must deal with the very deep, very dark shadows that she casts.

Dawn Lightwing has overcome many trials since moving to Ponyville. However, his past and the ponies that haunted it are not as far behind him as he would like to think. Whether he likes it or not, his enemies, who draw their hatred from their irrational reverence for Princess Celestia, have found him again and he must struggle with the fact that his mere presence could a threat to his friends and his new family.

Twilight Sparkle must deal with a different shadow as she travels to Canterlot in order to learn more about the mysterious Eyes of Nightmare, as she must contend with the Noble Court, who live in the shadow of the Royal Palace itself, its members planning to use Twilight and her friends to advance their own ambitions, stopping at nothing to have her under their influence.

Thankfully, neither of them will have to deal with these obstacles alone.

However, something even more dangerous is stirring. Dark matters are afoot.

The series begins with Foal of the Forest.
Now with a TV Tropes page.

When Celestia went on sabbatical into the west, she promised Twilight it would be only a couple of months. A year and a half later, the sun resists control, the country is in ruins, and her teacher is lost in the wilds. Twilight has become the apostate, her faith in her teacher and her teachings waning. In the wake of tragedy, her resentment blossoms into fury and she vows that something must be done. Shadows gather around Canterlot, and old things that should not have been awakened are on the move. The Student goes west, her hope restored by friendship and righteous fury.

The night, at long last, is passing.