It is the middle of the night when two bored princesses visit Twilight and her 'What If' machine. Join the three ponies and Spike as the view more:
Tales
of
Interest!

Celestia has spent a millennium keeping her emotions to herself in favour of a tight rule over Equestria.

Now that there are stirrings in her heart, is she willing to open it?

Applejack reached up with a fore hoof to touch the brim of her hat. It was habitual, almost unconscious. She could feel, nestled safely underneath the hat, her two most precious treasures--a single blue feather and a small snippet of purple mane.

They were precious, more precious than anything besides her family and her farm, because they were only pieces of them she'd ever have.

Twilight is a princess, and traveling the land to meet ponies far and wide; an excellent opportunity to make more friends. So why is she so unhappy?

For most of Applejack's life, she didn't know what she was. True, she understood who she was well enough.
But ponies don't change shapes, nor do they get strength from love.
Applejack never thought too hard on it... until the events of a certain wedding brought about some harsh realizations.
Now, with Equestria still reeling from the surprise attack, will Applejack manage to come to terms with what she is? Will she even be able to keep her secret safe?
For if the royal guards don't get her first, the conspirators in the shadows just might...

Image provided by Heilos -

Twilight wakes in the middle of the night, haunted by a terrifying dream—one that's not so hard to see coming true. One that whispers of a grand destiny awaiting her as a reward for all her hard work, discipline, and noble sacrifice.

But what if she doesn't want a grand destiny?

Princess Celestia has been the sole ruler of Equestria for more than a thousand years. Over those years, she gradually drifted apart from those ponies over whom she watched tirelessly. But now that Princess Luna has returned, and has begun to share the burdens of rule that Celestia has had to carry alone for so long, she is forced to come to grips with the isolation and loneliness that she has brought upon herself. Having kept herself distant from her subjects for so long, she turns to the pony whose friendly nature has already helped to save Equestria on multiple occasions for help and comfort.

Celestia is struggling to come to terms with her true feelings for Twilight.

Unwilling to watch her sister suffer under apathy and indecision, Luna takes it upon herself to help Celestia confront her newfound feelings.

Discord has been defeated, and Twilight and her friends are eager to get back into the swing of everyday life. Shortly after the end of the victory ceremony in Canterlot, Celestia asks a favour of Twilight, to put Discord back where he belongs, and the ever-faithful student accepts.

By noon of the next day, however, Twilight has both a startling revelation, and a terrible new secret to keep. Otherwise, the last thing she sees may in fact be the statue garden.

Acknowledgements
Edited and test-read by DreamVirusOmega (aka PoisonClaw) and Nonagon
Heavily inspired by and adapted from Garden Party: Petrified by PumpkinHipHop
Cover art used with permission by DocWario

To save her sister and her faithful student, Celestia herself must travel into the ancient tunnels beneath the ruined castle in the Everfree Forest. She, and the guards who accompany her, must face the dark, twisting corridors. Still, what was Luna and Twilight's purpose at the old castle? Why were they unable to return of their own accord?

And what watches Celestia from beyond the light's edge?