Rainbow Dash is dead.

Scootaloo knows this, but that does not mean she will accept it. Equestria is a land of magic and hope—what is one more miracle among hundreds? This is the question that drives her forward when she stumbles upon a Daring Do book that seemingly shows her a means of bringing back the dead. Driven by painful memories and a desperation to make up for her own mistakes, Scootaloo ventures on a quest to bring her fallen idol back to the land of the living. Embarking on a journey far from the world they know, Scootaloo and her friends find the line between fact and fiction—reality and delusion—blurring with each step.

Originally envisioned and published in 2012. Resurrected in 2019. Be wary of potential spoilers in the comments

Cover by the awesome and talented Conicer

On this day, every year, Pinkie sits at the crossroads and waits for her.

Image by DawnAllies of deviantART

Was it a magical spell gone awry? An angry god laying waste upon a world that had forgotten him? A long and bloody war? An incurable disease?

Fluttershy couldn't remember what it was that had turned the world to this. All she knew was that she had to survive.

Apple Bloom had always dreamed of the day. She just never dreamed that it would be a nightmare.

This story is a sequel to Scion of Chaos

Five years after the summer in which the three had gotten their cutie marks, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, now young mares in their own right, decide to go on a quick summer vacation, all as an attempt by Sweetie Belle to cheer up a sad friend. However, the trip turns out to be more than they had anticipated.

Set five years after Scion of Chaos and An Emerald Treasure. For the sake of context I'd recommend reading both of those first.

Special thanks to Mac349 and Plebeian for proofreading. Thanks to CMC4TW for editing/idea-mulling.

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!

Long ago, before the banishing of Luna, Equestria was home to six races, not just three. In addition to the stewards of the weather, the earth, and of arcane magics, there were also the Changelings and their Queens, the harvesters, but not thieves of love, who spread it across the land, the Fel Ponies, those who guided the souls of the dead, and finally, the Noctus Ponies, or bat-ponies, who helped guard the night.

For a time, harmony between the six was maintained in full, but over time this once proud family grew distant. The Changelings became corrupt and greedy, and the Fel Ponies began feeding upon dark magic. The former left the lands and the latter were banished to Tartarus.

At that, only the Noctus Ponies remained... the strangest and most misunderstood of the three, due to their need for blood. A steady fear of them had always remained among of the populace, but with the help of Princess Luna, their reputation remained noble. However, when she became tainted by the Nightmare, they became tainted as well - at least in the eyes of the populace.

They were forced to flee. To hibernate for many years.

Now, two years after Luna's return, her, along with Princess Celestia and Twilight, have begun turning the wheels of change: their goal to unite the six races once more - starting with those who helped watch the night.

The minions of the night will return in full force.

What if things had gone a bit differently for Twilight Sparkle? What if she had settled down, gotten married, had a foal? What if that foal had been the death of her? What if that foal had gone on to help forge a new Equestria, a new paradise for all within? What if, after all this, her daughter, an Alicorn, had settled on a throne alongside Celestia, and began to make the world perfect?

What if you didn't want to be perfect? What if you ran, hid in any scrap of shadow you could find? What if you lived your life from the outside looking in, watching others prosper while you starved? What if you could do nothing but watch as others disappeared, never to be seen again?

And then, after all of that...what if they found you?

Celestia and Luna rule the palace of Canterlot together quietly, while their assistant Discord always entertains himself with pranking the royalty. But what happens when he has the ultimate idea?

Crossover tag is for later chapters

This story is a simple thing for entertainment. If you're looking for an Equestria daily level fic... Well, this is not one. Just a heads up

Princess Celestia has been ruling Equestria for thousand's of years. She's seen it all. Literally seen it all. And now she's more than a little bored with the day to day hum-drummery of running her Kingdom. Deciding it's time for a little time off, she opts to take a week long vacation. But not just any vacation spot will do. After all what is there to see or do in a world where she's seen and done it all?

Instead she decides to switch places with a willing human participant. It's the slowest week of the year for the Solar Diarch, and she's absolutely confident her choice for a week long stand in will do just fine. The problem is, she doesn't quite get the right human.

(uuuugh featured?! now I have to put effort into making sure it's tidy and edited and such, curse you fim readers!)