Starswirl the Bearded created many spells in his day, but one went completely undiscovered until recently. Spell 63, an unknown spell that apparently caused Starswirl to disappear. Now a princess, Twilight Sparkle takes on the challenge of figuring it out. But this spell is much more complicated than the one that switched the cutie marks of her friends... This one takes her to an entirely different world!

This story is a sequel to Ascend

Congratulations, Twilight. With Celestia and Luna on their constitutionally mandated vacation, you're in charge of Equestria. The position of Regent is an honored and hallowed one. But maybe it's a bit early to congratulate you. After all, whether it's a nobility jealous of your ascension, or a military unhappy with Celestia's decisions; one thing's certain: your reign will be anything but peaceful.

For almost a thousand years, the immortal Nightmare Moon has reigned over Equestria as Empress. To the average pony, Nightmare Moon is an overarching enigma whose rule is absolute and whose wrath is terrible. But to Twilight Sparkle, who as an orphan has never known her parents, the Empress is something else entirely. When the young unicorn is brought under the royal wing as an apprentice, she learns a great deal more about the supposed tyrant than she ever knew. But as Twilight is introduced to life with her new mentor, she is thrust into a world of political intrigue, conspiracies and secrets. Secrets that were never meant to be revealed. As allies and enemies plot against the very peace of the nation, will Twilight fall prey to the perils of her new position? Or will she prosper and find in Nightmare Moon the mother she never had?

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My eternal gratitude to my editor, LordOfTheWrongs, without whom Night's Favoured Child would not be the story it is today.

Now with added TVtropes!

Twilight's day hasn't gone well. Her night is about to get a WHOLE lot worse. Starting with being banished to the Moon...

After a series of unfortunate events conspire to trap Twilight within her own nightmares, Twilight's friends - along with the with aid of Princess Luna - become Twilight's only hope of rescue. Time and Twilight's fears are already against them, but they must also come to terms with how Twilight got there in the first place...

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.

Twilight Sparkle has learned an advanced spell that took weeks to master and finally puts it to the test. It works like a DNA paternity test and tries it on her friends to demonstrate. But then she tries it on her family, she discovers something unpleasant. Will this be kept a secret or will it tear Equestria apart into chaos? Better yet will it ruin her sanity?

*Knotwist as editor/proof-reader*

She was once a great mare, the pride of Equestria's rulers.
The sole wielder of the element of magic...
Now but a shell of her former self after just one tragic night... and the long months that followed.

Because what would it be like to have your closest friend violently taken away from you?
Even after a full year with no sign of him, would it ever seem possible that he would ever be seen again, or that he was even alive?

Twilight Sparkle, with the help of her friends, attempts to rebuild her life from the ground up after a full year of dwelling in the past, and trying to find any trace of her former assistant.
Spike's gone, but does Twilight have what it takes to bring herself back from the same void?

Princess Celestia always knew that Twilight Sparkle was destined for great things, but she never revealed the source of that knowledge, not even to those closest to her. When the day of Twilight's true destiny finally arrives, can Celestia fulfill an ancient promise to save Equestia's past, present, and future, even it means saying goodbye to Twilight forever? How can Celestia refuse her mother's last wish?

Art by the inimitable Harwick

In the episode "A Canterlot Wedding", we see everyone treat Twilight Sparkle rather shabbily, and when she's proven to be right, no one apologizes to her - not even Princess Celestia. How might this have affected Twilight?

Why, hello there! Can't say that I've seen you around before. Welcome to Ponyville Library. Let me know if you need help with anything. Oh, right. Where are my manners? My name is Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia of Equestria and resident librarian. Oh, and some might call me the laziest unicorn in Ponyville.

Heh. They're just jealous. Try the laziest unicorn in all of Equestria. And that's a title I'm most proud to bear, thank you very much. What's that? Why, you ask? Well. Let me tell you about the time that I accidentally managed to save Equestria.

Several times, actually.

Note: Not a crossover with "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Sorry to disappoint. I just couldn't resist the reference.

First person from Twilight's perspective.