Princess. Alicorn. The pillar of all ponykind, against which so many ponies often judged themselves. Celestia hates having to constantly be these things, and it's past time for a break. Luna will watch over Equestria while her sister is gone, but taking a break from your duties and taking a break from how the world sees you are two very different matters. Enter Prominence, a quiet pony who nopony really pays much mind to. Perhaps because she doesn't exist.

Aided by this disguise, Celestia will find her peace and relaxation in the home of one of the few ponies who know Prominence's true identity: Princess Twilight Sparkle. But when Twilight begins to see Celestia as a pony, and not a princess, can she deal with the feelings that arise? And are the feelings for Celestia, or for a pony she knows is not actually real?

EDIT: I've been featured, July 19th, 2014. I have no words to express how terrified and humbled and terrified and proud and happy and terrified this makes me.

For more than a millennium, it was believed that the princesses were immortal. But as time marched ever forward, it become clear that even the alicorns won't live forever.

Princess Celestia is at the end of her life.

While Equestria must find a way to cope with this new reality, those that are truly suffering are those closest to her. None are struggling as much as her sister, Princess Luna. Not only is she forced to handle the duties of ruling Equestria and taking care of the transition, she must also cope with the imminent death of her beloved sister.

Image source.

Warning: comments may contain spoilers.

What happens when something crafted by a creature with no real care for material things is taken from him? Nopony else knew the answer either. But they found out. Oh... They found out.

Rated 'Everyone' because EVERYONE needs a good knock in the teeth!

Enjoy!

Featured on Equestria Daily April 2, 2015! *face melts*

After a magical accident, Celestia and Luna must try to restore harmony. Celestia's duplicate, however, is having none of it.

Check out the companion pieces, Amphelion, by monokeras and The Banach-Tarski Dragon by CCC, tackling the same premise in a different way.

Cover art from the gallery of mysticalpha.

Ten years ago, Twilight made the ultimate sacrifice in order to defeat Tirek. Equestria has been in a state of civil war ever since.

Canterlot has at last fallen, and the six heroes of the rebellion now go to face the ultimate challenge: defeating the godlike Twilight Sparkle. What they expect to be a brutal, hard won quest for glory and Equestria's salvation turns into something entirely different... and now they face a choice.

This story is a reaction piece against the Tyrant Sparkle trope.

Special thanks to Absolution for pre-reading and Danger Beans for proofreading.

Cover art credit: BluestreakFUS

Now with a Chinese Translation courtesy of Hellagur.

Nightmare Moon won. She defeated Celestia, broke the Elements, banished the sun. This all happened a very long time ago. So long ago, that she has had plenty of time to change her mind.

Of course, fixing our mistakes is never so simple, and never without consequences. Even with particularly potent help.

"If you came to conquer, you'll be king for a day. / But you too will deteriorate and quickly fade away."
— "No Control" by Bad Religion

A big thanks to Craine, Sorren, and Idylia for prereading and editing. If you enjoyed the story, don't forget to check out their pages.

Equestria Daily
Royal Canterlot Library (FIMfic version)
Russian translation by Doof
Chinese translation by Dreams Set Free

Kitsune Heart has done a dramatic reading of this story! Find it over here.
ObabScribbler has done a dramatic reading of this story! It includes a full cast of voice actors. Find it over here.

Comments contain spoilers.

Twilight Sparkle has had a crush on Princess Celestia for a very long time. When Celestia's own advice prompts her to confess her attraction, Twilight discovers a secret that Celestia has hidden for hundreds of years. With the fires of the sun itself separating them, can Twilight find a way for them to come together?

Cover art by NadnerbD

Huge amounts of editing by Jordanis

Redemption is rarely the end of the story. Princess Luna was given another chance, saved from an eternity of darkness by a lone unicorn. Without Twilight Sparkle, the world will tremble before the mare who rocked the world with her betrayal in days long past.

Winner of the Second TwiLuna Contest

Featured on May 18, 2014

Featured on EquestriaDaily September 11, 2014

This story is a sequel to What Have You Done?

Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen, has taken her prize, unhindered by Equestria's precious heroes. Celestia is little more than another prisoner of war now. The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony are lost, and the Elements themselves have turned away from Equestria's plight. As the world they once knew begins to crumble, a single question is asked among the people as they look up at their fallen heroes.

There is no such thing as "miserably ever after," for someone will always be fighting for things to change. Hope doesn't die just because someone's turned off the lights. Truth doesn't vanish when deceit begins its reign, and Harmony can only shine brighter among chaos.
Even as this world falls, we'll work to build it up again.
Even as you lose yourself, you can find greater things within you.
Even as fear rises up like a tidal wave, we'll forge a sanctuary to stand against it.
Even as you break, someone will always be standing there next to you to carry you through it.

Cover art is by Odin-odin.
Story theme (Equestria in Grey) is by Omnipony.
Main Characters are Twilight, Velvet, Discord, Nightlight, Luna, and Chrysalis, in that order.
See you in the comments, my dear readers.

The nightmare of that evening haunts my every waking moment.

A flash of light.

Her powerful form with wings spread wide before me…

She was not just my mentor.

She was also my best friend and for that I will always be grateful for knowing her not as a Princess of Equestria, but as Celestia… The only one who really understood me...

But now? Now I can never tell her how much I truly loved her and how much she meant to me.

They took her away from me.

So I will take everything away from them.

There is a sequel! D=S-M2 and side story! D=S-M: Emerald Mirror

((Somehow Featured on: 12/03/2014 and again on the 06/07/14... mad.

Much love and all credit to the artist: Ventious who owns that picture and is all kinds of awesome. While I have yet to get permission (working on that one at some point), I will remove the picture if the artist demands it so.

And much thanks to these guys for helping me edit/proof and generally bounce ideas about this monstrosity: Grammar Nazi Tach, Discorded Discord,Curify, Lord Inquisitor
TheAccidentalBrony))