Destiny is a fickle thing.

Cloud Kicker had her life figured out. A cushy desk job in the weather service in a few years' time. Great friends. Good times. Loose mares. A mild amount of family and relationship drama along the way, maybe, if she was unlucky.

She'd never have guessed that her life would take a meteoric rise toward eternity after making a cute, purple librarian cry.

(Written entirely for laughs for AU Month in the Winningverse. I couldn't resist.)
(For those that reflexively downvote Winning stuff, comment instead! It's more fun to bicker. Ask Pinkie.)

This story is a sequel to The Life and Times of a Winning Pony

After my aunt Nimbus died, I was feeling really down. So you can imagine that I sorta needed somepony to help pull me through. Okay, scratch that—I really needed somepony.

Luckily, that's when I met Sparkler. The two of us are the best of friends now. If only our families would quit teasing us about our non-existant romance life. She's just a friend. That's it... isn't it?

(A side story for Chengar Qordath's Winningverse. I highly suggest you go read that before diving in here. Only because the Winningverse is such an amazing story!)

It's been a couple of weeks and way more than a couple of games since Pinkie Pie introduced the Mane Six to the joys of playing the classic real-time strategy title, Age of Empires II. Unanswered questions surround this mysterious game: where did it come from? Who made it? Why is there so much killing?

Never mind all that - Twilight Sparkle and her friends have a game to play!

NOTE: Though I've tried to make the story more about the relationships between the four gamers (no Rarity or Fluttershy, sorry!) than about the game itself, some rudimentary knowledge about Age of Empires II is required if you want to understand what is going on. I wrote this as a short-ish story so I'm not really going to go into technical details much.

=====INFO AFTER BREAK=====
References consulted while writing story:
ZeroEmpires (Commentary on Competitive AoE II matches)
wikiHow (5 Ways to Make Your Economy Boom in Age of Empires II)
Wikipedia (for info on Byzantines, Moon & Vikings)
Luttwak, E. "The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire" (Harvard University Press, USA), 2009 (Byzantine military strategy)

Youtube links:
Prologue - PakAttack95 (Youtube Channel)
Main Menu and Victory Music - mikec1000 Civilization Themes

Cover Image:
Wikipedia
Age of Empires II
Cutie Mark Vectors by Hawk9mm (deviantART page)

Apple Bloom is left alone and bored while Scootaloo is learning to fly and Sweetie Belle is learning magic. Applejack sees that her sister feels less special because she's an earth pony, and decides to get Pinkie Pie's help in teaching the filly about why earth ponies are so important.

Flight Camp was a life-changing event for Cloud Kicker. Her horrible fight with Rainbow Dash forever changed things between them, and drove a wedge between Cloud and Fluttershy.

But what if that had never happened? What if Cloud and Fluttershy had stayed together? How would the lives of the three friends be different? What other changes would ripple across Equestria as a result of that one event? Cloud and Fluttershy might be happily married, but how would that change the lives of their friends? Would Rainbow Dash go down a different path to joining the Wonderbolts? How would Rarity's life change if she never met Fluttershy until she moved to Canterlot?

Where would they be today if they'd traveled down the road not taken?

While normally far from the type to play video games, especially violent ones, Rarity finds herself convinced to join the girls in playing Black Sunset, one of the most popular games in the country. It's not long, however, until the game has her thinking about what's going on with her life. Namely, Spike. While the years had both washed over them, blossoming her into a mature, college educated woman and Spike into a fine lad himself on his junior year in high-school, his obvious interest in her has yet to fade. Rather, it's grown stronger.

A part of her yearns for the simpler times, back when he was a child with a childish crush.

But another faint, diminutive part of her is curious. Wanting. Wanting to sit back and listen to him. Listen to him express himself to her.

In his own way.

Thanks for the featured guys! It's a great honor!

Wrote for the contest in the Sparity group. Check out some of the other contenders, I'm sure they'll be top notch!

Special thanks to Peregrine Caged and Jake the Ginger for editing and being bros. Addational pre-reader thanks also goes to:

Xl9
Mr.101
and RainbowBob

Thanks guys! Couldn't do it without you.

A simple afternoon spent modifying a dress at Carousel Boutique leads to two ponies accidentally discovering that they have more in common than was once believed.

A minor injury leads Apple Bloom to learn that she and the other Crusaders aren't like normal ponies. Not having their marks has always been their common bond, but as the trio uncover their unique nature, it becomes clear that their lives are intertwined on a much deeper level. As they learn the secrets of their shared past, it leads to revelations about their friendship, families, and their long sought after talents. What they discover and accomplish along the way is beyond what anypony would have thought possible.

There is now a sequel! Three Wishes: The Hole In The Sun

And a (more or less) standalone Christmas Special set between this and the sequel. Cinder Claws: The Caribou Legend Of Kol-Klor

Big thanks to totallynotabrony, Dusk Watch, AugieDog, and Piquo Pie for prereading and editing help!

Ever since Bon-Bon left for a new life in Manehatten, Lyra's life has lost its focus. She gets up, she goes to work, she eats, she goes to sleep. One day she knows she's going build up the courage to tell Bon-Bon how she really feels about her and they can live happily ever after.

That day will never come. Something terrible is happening in Equestria. Something that could be the end of the world. The Smooze has arrived and no-one can stop it, not even Twilight Sparkle. What hope then does Lyra have?

Be Awed and Amazed by the tale of Sweetie Belle as she traverses the multiverse in search of her lost mentor and friend, Twilight Sparkle! Will she find her in post-apocalyptic Equestria? Or maybe in a strange world where everypony is the wrong gender? Or even where a Pony claims to be a human? Read as she journeys through very familiar worlds you might have read about... if you dare!

At this point in time all the main worlds to be visited have already been chosen. Thank you all for the suggestions, and I hope you enjoy the surprises!

Here's the official TSC:F Music Intro: The Sweetie Chronicles: Fragments

WDTP: S2/3-CE
You can also visit the TV Tropes Page which has spoilers!