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!

In the aftermath of the Changeling incursion of Canterlot during the marriage of Shining Armour and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Equestria gears itself for war against the Changeling menace. Against a foe that can take the shape of anypony, assume their life, and undermine Equestria from within, the Royal Pony Sisters create a new institution to monitor their Royal Guard for any Changeling corruption, cowardice, and incompetence: the Commissariat. As total war rages across the land one hero stands out above the rest; Commissar Blueblood, Hero of Equestria. Or at least that's what the propaganda says. The truth, as ever, is far more complex, as the esteemed Blueblood is merely looking for an easy and sedate life. Unfortunately, fate has a habit of throwing him into increasingly dangerous and suicidal missions, which he must survive with a combination of self-preservation, lying, and sheer blind luck, even if doing so only fuels his soaring reputation!

Equine military fiction in the style of Ciaphas Cain and Flashman.

Cover art done by me.

Proofread and edited by the always dependable Setokaiva.

In the wake of the Friendship Journal debacle, Princess Twilight Sparkle receives an unexpected visitor in the form of a scarred war veteran. He has a story to share with her, one which will give both insight into the nature of good, evil, and gratitude.

War is a dread and terrible thing, and those that suffer through it emerge changed. But the grimness of war is not the end.

Dedicated to those who have served and continue to serve in the Armed Forces. For any veterans living with trauma, I've placed a link here for the veteran helpline. There is no shame in needing to talk to someone.

My Little Pony and its contents are the property of Hasbro, Inc. and its affiliates. Please support the official release.

This story is a sequel to The New Blood

Years have passed since the Crystal War ended. Twilight Sparkle visits an old haunt to spend some time catching up with her friends. Then comes the question of who picks up the tab.

This story follows the alternate universe canon wherein Equestria fought in a state of Total War against Sombra's Crystal Empire. The New Blood is set in the same universe during the war, with some character overlap.

As a Memorial Day Tribute, this story is dedicated to all those who have served, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. For any veterans living with trauma, I've placed a link here for the veteran helpline. There is no shame in needing to talk to someone.

Folks were kind enough to submit this to the Royal Canterlot Library. Thank you to everyone responsible for adding it. I'm grateful that you found in it something meaningful.

My Little Pony and its contents are the property of Hasbro, Inc. and its affiliates. Please support the official release.

The Great War ended many years ago, but its effects live on in the ponies who fought and bled on its battlefields. A journalist interviews some of the War's greatest heroes, seeking to know the people behind the legends.

Memoirs of My War is written as a tribute to all veterans, but, as this Veterans Day marks the hundredth anniversary of the end of World War One, it is dedicated to the remembrance of those brave souls in particular. This story is a companion story to another military tribute of mine, Flowers of the Forest, but neither are required reading for the other. A brief overview of the "War's Generation" AU (which is canon for both) is provided here for context, but is not required for either.

As this story contains graphic imagery in certain chapters, I am placing a link to the Veteran Crisis line here, as well as links to the national suicide prevention hotline and a list of international hotlines. There is no shame in needing help. In fact, it is courageous to ask.

Cover art is "Retreat" by Ulyanovetz.

My Little Pony and its contents are the property of Hasbro, Inc. and its affiliates. Please support the official release.

It is the third year of the Crystal War, and Equestria’s future is in doubt. Maintaining air superiority is the difference between victory and death. But the war has taken a heavy tole on the Equestrian Air Corps, who are forced to send greener and greener fliers into combat. Many of these “new bloods” won’t survive their first battle.

Even the legendary Wonderbolts are forced to field fliers fresh out of Basic. When they arrive at the Front, it’s down to the veterans to get them ready for the horror that awaits them. Veterans like Master Sergeant Lightning Dust.

War has made Lightning Dust cynical, jaded. These bright-eyed recruits are the last thing she wants to see at the Front. But they need her to survive. And maybe, just maybe, she needs them too.

As this story contains graphic imagery of war in certain chapters, I am placing a link to the Veteran Crisis line here, as well as links to the national suicide prevention hotline and a list of international hotlines. There is no shame in needing help. In fact, it is courageous to ask.

This story takes place in the same canon as The Tab, but neither are required reading for each other.

My Little Pony and its contents are the property of Hasbro, Inc. and its affiliates. Please support the official release.

Note: Outside a couple specific chapters, the bloodshed is limited and mostly only spoken of, and the suicide/self harm tag mostly refers to one scene and to a character's ongoing struggle with depression. Links to crisis lines are farther down in the story description and will be in any chapter that deals directly with suicide. Don't struggle alone. You are worth fighting for!

Each of Rarity's friends played a role in the Great War, serving with great honor in ending the tyranny of the Griffon Dominion. But Rarity? Rarity stayed. It wasn't her choice. Her friends insisted. And, in all fairness, they were probably right. Somepony needed to stay, and it made the most sense for it to be her.

Still, it never felt right.

Now the war is over, and scarred veterans are trickling back into their communities, surrounding Rarity with reminders of the price paid by her fellow citizens, and leaving her with a mounting guilt over the un-payable debt. So when Applejack asks Rarity to help get a member of her old unit back on his hooves after the war, the seamstress jumps at the chance to do her part. Corporal Iron 'Shoddy' Shod may be a little ... rough of manners for her tastes, it's true, but he's a hard worker, and Rarity is confident in her ability to help him. But when it becomes apparent that Shoddy has more to overcome than just his lack of decorum, Rarity will learn some deep truths about the price that some pay for freedom, and the wounds that don't stop with the flesh.

For it is often said that the hardest battle a veteran faces is the one he fights at home.

As this story contains graphic imagery of war, depression, and the struggle with suicide in certain chapters, I am placing a link to the Veteran Crisis line here, as well as links to the national suicide prevention hotline and a list of international hotlines. There is no shame in needing help. In truth, it is courageous to ask for it.

This story is set in an alternative universe that picks up after the end of Season 4. Thus, all events that follow Tirek's defeat either didn't happen or happened differently. The specifics will unfold with the story, but for now it suffices to say that the "Princess of Friendship" title became quite intertwined with international diplomacy in this world. Unless otherwise specified, it does not follow the canon of my other works.

Special thanks to MadHotaru for the use the cover image. https://madhotaru.deviantart.com/art/Classic-style-329958227

My Little Pony and its contents are the property of Hasbro, Inc. and its affiliates. Please support the official release.