Mort, also known as the Pale Pony (of Death), has been tasked to take time off from his rigorous duties of reaping souls. Seeking guidance, he is directed towards the town of Ponyville, to learn about the magic of friendship from Twilight Sparkle and her friends. All he needs to do is keep his true nature a secret. That shouldn't be too difficult...right?

Special thanks to Specter-Von-Baren and Pyrite Foolsgold for their help in proofreading and editing this story, as I really needed it. Additional thanks to Pilate, Chuckle5, Unimpressive Vagaries and Admiral Biscuit as well! Couldn't have done it without all their help!

Credit for the title card goes to Siansaar, AKA Carnifex.

For another excellent take on Mort, check out Sip's version!

What started as a normal friendly visit ends up taking two ponies on a trip down memory lane that leads them both to realize their friendship began even before Rainbow Dash's first sonic rainboom.

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?

============

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 Sparkle's imagination as a child was unbelievable, probably due to all those books. Which also make up the amazing Fort Book, Twilightopia's first stronghold against the country of Armor! With the help of Captain Smartypants and Private Cadence, General Twilight defends her fort against her brother's advancing army of one!
A tale of Twi's childhood told from her point of view.

Inspired by the cover picture.

Princess Celestia tires of constantly being surrounded by decorum, deference, and formality, and decides to take a day off from being Princess. But visiting Ponyville incognito is harder than she expects. Will she be able to fit in and make friends without blowing her cover?

Fluttershy often dreams of being able to cuddle up with the pony who means more to her than a friend. When said crush comes barging through the window one very early morning, is her wish about to come true? FlutterDash.

While this is not my first fanfic this is my first time uploading one to this site and so, if there are any errors regarding the structure then it is more than likely due to my unfamiliarity with this site and its uploading system. Although this is my first Friendship is Magic fanfic I welcome any and all criticism, which will make me just as happy to receive as it would praise.

The method of writing this short story involves connecting various fan arts and creating a narrative which involves each one of them. As such I wish to credit the artworks of DiegoTan's 'Rainbow Dash n Fluttershy hug', Strebiskunk's 'Bedshy' (which also serves as the cover image), Miokomata's 'Gotcha' and 'Best night ever', Haileyguilford's 'Morning', Juicy Cactus's 'Your real Christmas present', and Fajeh's 'Flutterdash' as sources of inspiration for this fanfic.

I do not - nor do I claim to - own any characters or artwork I use in this story - they belong to their respective series and owners.

When sorting through a horde of ancient artefacts Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash accidentally activate the magical powers of a pair of bracelets which force the wearers to be in constant physical contact with one another. Stuck together until Twilight manages to find a way to remove the bracelets, the shy and timid pegasus must cope with re-emerging feelings, while the athletic and rash pegasus must cope with the various antics of a bunny rabbit out to get her.

The cover image for this story is the artwork ‘FlutterDash RainbowShy IDK’ by TheDracoJayProduct.

This fanfic features FlutterDash and hints/mentions other pairings such as SpArity, RariPie, and SweetieSpike to a lesser degree.

I do not - nor do I claim to - own any characters or artwork I use in this story unless otherwise stated - they belong to their respective series and owners.

Now with a fan-made TV Tropes page created and maintained by Zyr1987 because readers of this story consider this to be that awesome.

A series of short, unrelated vignettes featuring Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash’s budding relationship. It’s supposed to be quite sappy and slice-of-life-y. I intend to release more chapters as I find time to write them, and I have a list of themes and situations I’d like to explore. Rated Teen for kisses, displays of affection, etc. There is no continuity between chapters unless explicitly stated.

Rarity is working on a large order. It would be easier if she weren't distracted by thoughts of a certain pink pony.

--------
Sequel here: In Pursuit of Happiness

Reworked the story so it reads better. 4/20/2013

Spike has been abandoned by his friends at the Grand Galloping Gala. While wandering the halls of Canterlot Castle, he finds himself stumbling upon a peculiar pony.
(Season One Finale Alternate Ending)
(Originally Written As A One-Shot)