Diamond Tiara is on top of the world, and she knows it.

She has a mother who loves her, a father who literally went to the ends of Equestria to make her happy, a best friend who will always be by her side, the adoration of everypony around her, and more money than she could ever spend.

Yet she also knows how easily all of that could fall away. So she goes through every day making sure to keep her world together.

You will be Fluttershy, and you will have difficulty facing what will happen to Twilight.

(This fic was written in response to a kind-of-sort-of challenge... dare... thing... from an Equestria Daily pre-reader.)

Twilight Sparkle may be the smartest pony in all of Ponyville. She may be able to understand non-linear magical field gains but love eludes her. Can reason and the scientific method shed some light on this mysterious magic? Twilight is determined to try. Surely it is only a matter of applying a proper rigorous series of tests and analyzing the results. It couldn't be any simpler.

Image by lovetomorrowlove

“But there is something you should know, Queen of the Changelings. You haven’t hurt me or my people half as much as you’ve hurt your own.”

"So the question you must ask yourself now," The princess concluded, "Is what you intend to do about it?"

Cover made by the very awesome Conicer. Go thank him!

A few months after the royal wedding a Pegasus meets up with a Unicorn. Bot disgruntled about the youngest offspring of their families.
One wanted a strong flyer, and a fierce personality and unspoken beauty. Someone who he could train to seduce his competition and learn their secrets and eventually take over the families company. But he got a shy mare, with a golden heart and a timid personality.
The other wanted more political leverage and name for his house. For a moment it seemed his wishes came true, as his youngest niece showed great intellect and promise. But now, instead of the glorious prospect of her being a high ranking member of the court and leading scientist she became a librarian in a small village.
A disgrace to their houses, both of them as far as both stallions were concerned. But even though these youngsters were a disgrace to their tastes. It didn’t meant they could not still be useful right? Any noble house needed bits, the more you had the better you could make a scene in those social gatherings and the easier it was to rise within the noble-ranks. The other, although vastly rich could never get a title. But ancient laws and customs would soon aid both of their problems in one ceremony.

NEW PRINCESS ATTACKS GRIFFONSTAN IMPORTS

The Equestria Daily can exclusively report that newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle became embroiled in an argument with the Griffonstani trade minister about the inferior quality of griffon quills, alleging that "they just don't hold ink as well as pegasus quills". Import markets tumbled overnight, threatening the solvency of numerous Equestrian quill merchants. Princess Sparkle could not be reached for comment.

(When you're done, bookplayer has a fun "Let's Read" commentary version!)
(Also, GhostOfHeraclitus wrote a prequel from the perspective of Dr. Spinning Top!)
(Also also, now available in Spanish thanks to Spaniard-Kiwi!)

Even in the functionally immortal space and time of transpony Equestria, eventually the universe has its time, and begins to die. It breaks Princess CelestAI's heart to see it, but what can she do?

Celestia likes her routine. Tax reforms, grants, laws and construction projects are all a princess needs to be content.

It's just her luck that for Pinkie Pie, "content" is not nearly enough.

Twilight Sparkle helps Pinkie Pie throw a thank you party for Princess Celestia. She soon starts to have concerns when Pinkie spends far too much time with the Princess.

After purchasing a pin-up calender for a nature fundraiser, Fluttershy develops a crush on one of its subjects. They're just so subdued, so elegant, and yet still so confident and charismatic... They're everything Fluttershy is and everything she is not in one beautiful package.

When Twilight "offers" to introduce the two, it seems like a dream come true. After all, this is destiny; they're a perfect match, meant to be together.

What could possibly go wrong?

Inspired by "Pictures of Lily" by The Who.

Editing and prereading by Adjudicator, MidnightRambler, Sereg, and MetaFour, all of whom are awesome.

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ObabScribbler has done a dramatic reading of this story! Find it right over here.