For a thousand years, there was just Celestia. Then Cadance appeared, Luna returned -- and now Twilight has ascended. There are ponies who are very curious about just what happened, why -- and how. Especially the how. Twilight herself is on that list, a freshly-minted princess with far more questions than answers, about to face a brand new one: what truly makes an alicorn?

And what happens if it goes wrong?

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Cover art by Harwick.

Shattered Skies has lived quite some time. He had done well for himself over the past few thousand years; staying out of the public eye and remaining generally uninvolved from pony society while he tended his forests.

Who wouldn't want that, right?

His job came with excellent security and fringe benefits, but after he was betrayed by a princess he trusted, all he wants to do is to live a normal life even if the world tells him otherwise.

Oc disclaimer: The original characters that appear in the story that are not my own have been obtained from the original owners via written permission.

Set only a week after the banishment of Princess Luna to the moon, the realm of Equestria is in a state of upheaval. Celestia's royal guard attempt to regain control over the vast empire once ruled by dual monarchs, and the young alicorn's actions as a ruler have become a subject of scrutiny after her sister's attempted coup. Two factions have risen in the turmoil: The Knights of the Sun and The Bright Moon.

Far away from the political infighting and sword rattling exists a small mining town on the outskirts of Equestrian territory. Where once the royal guard would have no trouble fending off raids from bandits or other criminals, the panic of the capitol has caused a withdrawal of military forces to more essential cities and trading ports. Completely undefended and without a spell or sword amongst them, this town was soon overrun by a band of bi-pedal canines calling themselves the Diamond Dogs. As brutal as they are lazy, the Diamond Dogs have forced the local population to work until collapse to collect gems from the town mine.

Outraged by his inability to fend off these bandits and thieves, a young unicorn named Bone Marrow tries with all of his might to find his purpose in life - his cutie mark - and hopes that it will be enough to drive off the invaders of his home. He will soon discover that his special talent is far more than he bargained for.

((A Sequel will begin for this story as soon as I finish I Am a Pet Changeling. Stay tuned on Discord! https://discord.gg/nDXd3AB ))

The surface isn't safe anymore.

In the ruined depths of Canterlot, a team of brave salvagers discover six mares, long forgotten but miraculously preserved. Though these mares cannot remember what happened to their world, they possess powerful magic that hasn't been seen for centuries.

Now the Elements of Harmony are thrust headlong into a world beyond recognition. Twilight and her friends must dive into the sunken remains of history to determine what happened, but Equestria isn't the harmonious land it once was. Before they can focus wholly on the past, they may first have to survive the present.

It isn't going to be easy.

Audiobook by Skijarama!
Original Soundtrack by Noc!

Special thanks to Doccular42 for the original concept, and M1ntf4n for editing!

Join the Empty Horizons Discord!

Big thanks to dA artist fantazyme and reader jeffh4 for making this fantastic rendition of Rarity at Mr. Rich's party!

On the fence of whether to read? Check out the Rage Review or hear PaulAsaran's thoughts!

Sequel is now live!

Revenge. It has been the only thing on Chrysalis’s mind during the months of her exile. What should have been her greatest triumph turned out to be her ultimate downfall. After months of waiting, she has at last developed a plot to win back the support of the changelings and take over Equestria: Run a dating service.

Disguised as the lovely unicorn Cherub, she starts up her business, ready to reclaim what she had lost. However, she soon discovers that the dating world is not as simple as it appears. Realizing that she cannot do this alone, she is forced to seek help from the most unlikely of sources.

Cover image created and permitted by FeliXao.

This story is a sequel to Track Switch - Frankfurt Calling

Modern just in time supply chains require arcane logistics. The people I work for specialise in that special kind of magic. Me? I just make sure stuff gets from A to B. And I'm good at it.
All over western Europe. Always at night. Always alone - just the way I like it.

Included in the Royal Canterlot Library. Now with Nightline character art by LunarFroxy.

Pre-read by CandyCanine
Reading the prequel is a good idea to get to know the other characters in the story, but not strictly necessary. As long as you like ponies on Earth, you're good.

Railway stations are strange places to be stranded in late at night. Places of passing that exist outside of normal time and space. Sometimes they contain unicorns. Working as garbage collectors.

Inspired by stories written by Admiral Biscuit, especially Silver Glow's Journal and Turnpike.
Edited by CandyCanine

Now with a mini-review by PresentPerfect

Frankfurt Calling now has a sequel: Track Switch - Steel Dreams

This story is a sequel to Hive Alive

After the chaotic series of events that created it, Twilight's small hive is now positioned with her at the peak of Equestrian authority. Not all are pleased by this. A coup has just been averted and the plots of those behind it may still be in motion.

With all other alicorns away and Discord gone with them, Equestria's history will be written by only one mare. She and her hive of friends and lovers are already being dragged into the tragedy of power-seeking pony elites, invaders, and ancient evils.

It begins as Cloudsdale falls...

GENERAL NOTES
1. Please see the age rating note below for a disclaimer on content and general story mood.
2. This is the direct sequel to Hive Alive. There is no significant time jump between stories.
3. Due to the length of Hive Alive and the time since it was finished, I have put together a useful timeline summary. Those interested in remembering key details from the 230,000+ word story will be able to do so easily. It is posted in a blog entry here.
4. Recommended to be read with the background color set to "Dark" via Formatting. It's the changeling thing to do. Chrysalis approved.

UPDATES
Biweekly. One new 3,000-4,000 word chapter every other Wednesday.

FULL TIMELINE SUMMARY OF HIVE ALIVE (for those that want to refresh themselves)

AGE AND CONTENT RATING
Rated Teen for violence, non-graphic injury, some crude language or terminology, innuendo, and suggestive content. No explicit scenes or descriptions will be included. Deaths may be mentioned but are not detailed. The intent of the story is not to be entirely serious or dark and therefore is not tagged as such. There will be more cheery scenes to come after the beginning chapters and thus this should not be confused with going the path of improperly tagged grimdark.

Alternate front cover is in progress.

In Popular Stories: December 31, 2016
First Featured: January 4, 2017

Thanks for reading!

Art by BlackWater (me)

This story is a sequel to Responsibilities

The 'adventures' of Blank Page continue. Changelings, Griffons and Princesses. At least he have learned his lesson not to volunteer for things anymore.

Yeah. Right.

That would involve him learning from his mistakes and that would be horrible. Celestia in particular finds it rather hilarious.

That's how you end up with Duties.

Cover art by Sipioc

Hope is the faith of the young. Losing everything she holds dear, Puppysmiles embarks on the adventure of her life to find her mother, her hopes of meeting her again driving her through the horrors of a world not of her making. Too bad the Wastelands doesn't care about hope.