A letter from Celestia interrupts one of Pinkie's parties with disturbing news. Now friendships will be pushed to the limit as Twilight struggles to uncover which of her friends is not who, or even what, she appears to be.

(While not a romance, this does contain a shipped pair)

in Russian

Rainbow Dash doesn't care for love. Applejack doesn't have time.
So when a simple game goes wrong, then Dash's favourite fictional heroine's latest tale takes a turn for the romantic, why does she suddenly find herself with a rose between her teeth?

A/N: I wanted to try something entirely safe for work again, and here we are. Not completely happy with how it turned out, so sorry about that. A (hilariously belated) birthday gift for the amazing RatOfDrawn, who draws cute ponies and has a bit of an AppleDash fetish.

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!

- Act I - Act II - Act III (You are here)

Applejack has found her farm, but it's hardly the way she remembers it. The Apple family is struggling to get by, managed by a version of Rarity who isn't afraid to get her hooves dirty.

Rarity finds herself in high society with a most unexpected host, a prim and proper version of Applejack. Together, they must track down the only pony that can save Equestria, if she's even still alive.

Twilight Sparkle has set sail to the Aurora to find Celestia, the memories of an ancient tapestry flittering in the back of her mind and a sense of desperate urgency driving her.

A pony will face the ultimate test, a test she is doomed to fail, at great cost.

Act I Here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/92
Act II Here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/96

Picture by stellarina. She's a talented artist that doesn't have nearly enough pageviews. Show her some love here: http://stellarina.deviantart.com/

Twilight's twenty-first birthday is coming up and the girls celebrate in Canterlot's vibrant bars and clubs, Luna is invited too, although she is not entirely familiar with such activities. Alcohol fuelled adventures abound!

After a visit from Cadance and Shining Armor, Twilight realizes how little she understands romantic love and decides to do -what else?- some research. But she has to learn a lot quicker than she expected, for Princess Celestia has invited Twilight and her friends to a Hearts and Hooves Gala- and they're expected to bring dates!

What follows is a chaotic set of events in which hearts are broken, crushes are acted upon, cakes explode, and the very foundation of the Mane 6 is rocked to its core.

My first fic, so don't expect any spectacular writing. I've got a vague idea of the relationships, but things may change, as I'm trying to let things be organic. Assume nothing.

When your life is as dull a gray as the world that surrounds you, the mundanities can make it all seem meaningless. Sometimes all we need is a little color -- or six -- to reintroduce us to what truly makes life worth living.

*6-16-2017 Edit, added Rainbow Dash tag because it triggered knighty.*