Pony Joe awakens before the dawn each morning, readies himself for his day, and then walks through Canterlot's cold and silent streets to his doughnut shop.

Life has become pretty mundane for Joe, but as he serves his customers and chats with his regulars he realizes that he has come to rely on that repetition...he relies on it to keep from remembering.

As a casual utterance by a new customer sends Joe into a spiral of haunting memories we learn about his life...and what he must give up if he wishes to move beyond his past.

Days after Tirek's near-takeover of Equestria, The Great And Powerful Trixie travels to Ponyville, intent on settling her rivalry with Twilight Sparkle once and for all. No trinkets to fudge her abilities, no megalomania to apologize for -- just pure and simple magician's honor!

Upon her arrival, however, she quickly learns that the information she has on Ponyville -- and Twilight -- is more than a little dated.

Edits (as well as a bit of scene inspiration) courtesy of nanashi_jones.

Princess Cadence is a lonely filly who has been shielded and protected all her life as a princess and member of the dwindling race of Sacred Alicorns. She longs for a friend her age to play with, and as a young teen she is sent to stay in Canterlot where her Aunt Celestia would personally mentor her in developing her magic. There she hopes to finally have the freedom she longs for and find somepony to be her friend. Instead, she is asked to foal sit for one of her aunt's royal adviser's fillies who may just be as lonely and reclusive as she.

This is the story of how Princess Cadence learns that the ability to give love cannot be complete without finding love for yourself, and sometimes it is found when you least expect it.

Twilight Sparkle takes a moment from her studies at the School for Gifted Unicorns to get a late lunch. Finding herself in a strange part of the school grounds, an apple tree and its odd fruit tempts her appetite.

Inexperience is a foreign concept to Celestia. At least she thinks it is. Right up until the moment a rash decision leaves her with a student who is a dozen years younger than what she's used to.

Enjoy.

Princess Celestia, tired of the constant pressure that ruling a nation puts on her, decides to take a day off and let Luna take her responsibilities for a day, something the younger alicorn is more than happy to do. She disguises herself as a pink maned pegasus pony named Sunny Skies and decides to go walking around Canterlot without any supervision. Unfortunately for her, not all parts of Canterlot are as safe as the palace, and she finds herself at the wrong end of a gang of muggers, who decide to kidnap her for a ransom when they see how much money she has on her.

Luna freaks out.

Celestia thinks it's hilarious.

Find this story and more in a print copy! Just click these words here!

Featured on Equestria Daily 8/15/13

Go here for the French translation!

[img]http://i.imgur.com/CUBPvKI.png[/img]

Edited wonderfully by sqarishoctagon and Cloud Hop

Updated cover art by Dominatore

Twilight Sparkle. A name known to everypony in all of Equestria. She's saved Equestria multiple times now, and with her and her friends being the Elements of Harmony, as well as being Princess Celestia's "Most Faithful Student", she enjoys a great life.
But what was before that? Follow her on her journey through foalhood, and her times as Celestia's Student.

This is my first fic, so constructive criticism is appreciated very much.
A huge thank you to WhatTheMoo and Knight Of Cerebus for proofreading this fic.
And a huge thank you to TwinTailsInc for allowing me to use his artwork

Seriously, a lot.

(Now with a Spanish translation by the generous SPANIARD KIWI!)

Princess Celestia tires of constantly being surrounded by decorum, deference, and formality, and decides to take a day off from being Princess. But visiting Ponyville incognito is harder than she expects. Will she be able to fit in and make friends without blowing her cover?

==Originally written Fall 2011== Equestria Daily Post==
After a long day of ruling Equestria, the Royal Sisters need a chance to unwind. Luna's solution is a few glasses of her once famous Moonshine, a drink distilled from moonlight. Celestia has been sober for a thousand years, but the temptation to have "just one" glass proves too great. Yet, when that one glass turns into several, it's Twilight who will have to deal with the princesses when they’re drunk off their flanks.