In a freak accident from the Cloudsdale weather control team, Twilight is struck down by an errant lightning bolt. But the veil of death is relatively thin...

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One of Equestria's greatest traits is tolerance. Every pony, whether Unicorn, Pegasus, or Earth, is accepted for who they are, and have their own parts to play in keeping Equestria running.

But what if an Earth pony decided he didn't want to play his assigned part? What if he wanted to rise above everyone else and become an Alicorn? Such a thing is possible... but the path to fulfilling one's dreams is never simple. Risks must be taken. Sacrifices must be made. And the question is always asked: How far would you go to get what you wanted? And would you be willing to pay a terrible price to get it?

Luna discovers something hidden from Celestia for twenty years, now, with emotions running high, she enlists the help of the Mane 6... but what seemed to be a single mystery, soon reveals a darker and much more complicated plot that will soon decide the fate of Equestria.

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Revised chapters edits and proofing (with many thanks) by: lammy, Trevor, Nick Nack, Fifth Alicorn

A horrible Cataclysm has turned all of Equestria into a Wasteland of barren ash and twilight desolation. The Sun and the Moon have been destroyed. Everypony has died--including Princesses Luna and Celestia. But one pony miraculously survives; she is a lone wanderer, the last of her kind, surrounded by menacing creatures that hate her. She navigates the Wastes in an airship and scavenges off the blighted landscape to keep herself alive.

Then one day she meets an old companion who grants her a gift, the chance to go back in time to the warm and sunny days of Ponyville, where her dead friends live in happiness. How far will the last pony venture into this joyous age of Equestria, even if she fully knows that there is no way to change the horrible fate of everypony she loves?

2013 Edition: Smaller Chapters, Better Grammar, and a Few New Scenes

(A shout-out to Vimbert, pre-reader and gentlecolt)

In an alternate timeline, Twilight Sparkle never became an alicorn princess. Instead, Star-Swirl the Bearded's spell and the Elements of Harmony brought about the end of her life. Two months later, her friends and loved ones are still in mourning from her passing. But just because Twilight's dead it doesn't mean her friends don't see her anymore...

(In the process of being rewritten)

After his defeat in the Crystal Empire, Sombra is sent to Hell to suffer for his sins until the end of time. However, it turns out that his eternal punishment is not a lake of fire, but rather a combination of annoying neighbors, trivial work, and disgusting beer. Will Discord and Chrysalis be able to get the angry newcomer to loosen up and enjoy his eternity?

*AU: This story assumes that all major FiM villains, save for Nightmare Moon, died at the end of their respective episodes.

Cover image by Madmax (text added by DJ Indie Cred)

To save her sister and her faithful student, Celestia herself must travel into the ancient tunnels beneath the ruined castle in the Everfree Forest. She, and the guards who accompany her, must face the dark, twisting corridors. Still, what was Luna and Twilight's purpose at the old castle? Why were they unable to return of their own accord?

And what watches Celestia from beyond the light's edge?

Pinkie doesn't tell ponies about Pinkamena and Surprise. The doctors said that they were bad for her, that they were a disease, but she disagrees. Sure, Pinkamena's a bit of a grumpy-pants, but she's still a great friend! She's often the voice of reason to counter-act some of the other two's crazier ideas, after all. Surprise, on the other hand, is a great prank-player, and always up for some fun. She's more like Pinkie, only more hyper. Both are great fun to be around, and they get on well.

Thing is, she knows that if she told ponies about them, then they would be dragged back to the hospital. And then be 'treated' again. None of them want that. Because of this, not even her best not-in-head friends know about them. The three of them have, for years now, been careful enough to keep the existence of Pinkamena and Surprise secret.

This has, of course, gone out the window now that Twilight is hammering on the door after overhearing one third of a conversation, with no sign of anyone else talking.

Hints of F/F shipping inside. Nothing will actually come of it here, though. Maybe in a future story.

Cover art can be found here: http://killryde.deviantart.com/art/Smile-338206490

What Spike saw in the doorway of King Sombra's crystal palace hasn't left his mind. The fear of Twilight abandoning him haunts him through recurrent nightmares. Anxiety taunts him when he's at his most vulnerable, reminding him of all his failures, all his inadequacies, all his wounds.

One night, this fear and anxiety manifests itself in a full-blown nightmare, dragging Spike face-to-face with his greatest fear. What if Twilight never needed Spike in the first place?

Takes place right after the Season Three opener (before Episode Three).

Thanks to RGLloyd for editing.

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Rated Teen for some dark elements.

Princess Celestia never knew what it was like to be feared. Sure, she knew of the anxiety of those meeting her for the first time, but that was a given. That wasn’t true fear. She knew of the fear of defeat shown by past villains she had brought down, but it was never true fear of her or her actions.

This colt, though? This earth pony who just appeared in her castle? He fears her. He fears her above all else, even death itself. Not even Nightmare Moon was feared this way. So why, oh why was this little colt so terrified of her? What had she done? How can she ever hope to alleviate her little pony of his pain, if her very presence causes him to lock up in terror?

Just where did this colt come from?

(So imagine a character from a grimdark story (ideally the victim) ending up in canon Equestria, and you pretty much have the premise behind this story. Do be warned though; this is much darker than my other stories, mostly because of the setting the aforementioned character came from. Seriously, when I thought of a victim of a grimdark story, I really wanted his old home to be as grim and dark as I could make it.)