This story is a sequel to Harmony Defended

Ten years ago, Equestria was nearly destroyed in a combined invasion of its worst enemies. Only with the timely intervention of its erstwhile human allies was the nation spared slavery and extinction. The war is over now, and the treaties of peace faithfully followed even after a decade. While earth ponies help rebuild Earth's ecosystem, human tractors erect roads and cities with terrifying speed.

Sweetie Belle helped make victory possible, but the cost of that victory was one of her best friends. Equestria is safe now, and ponies are spreading to the stars. Why doesn't she feel happier?

In the far reaches of Canterlot Castle, high above in the towers lived the archmage. Everypony knew her, yet few had met her.

Twilight Sparkle sighed, having teleported away another noble seeking favors before reaching the top of the stairs for the second time today. They never learned. As the archmage, she already dealt with political squabbles far too often without inviting them into her home. Aside from personal favors for Celestia, she did what was required of her position and then returned to seclusion and research.

The nobility grumbled that no archmage should be a commoner, and Twilight’s disrespect toward them proved it. Each and every time they were forced to bow to her, they hated what they saw: the position, the status, the deference.

Was she not powerful? Was she not great?

Twilight, now reading through dusty scrolls and long forgotten tales, wrote in her notes — notes gathering dust of their own. A brief thought flashed through her mind.

Am I not powerful? Am I not great?

And then Twilight picked up The Tale of the Royal Pony Sisters.

Defunct side stories told in Across the Boundary. They can still provide a little context, but when in doubt, the main story here is canon.

Cover art provided by Lafiir

(Post-Mass Effect 3)(FemShep)
When the Reapers were defeated, the galaxy believed that Shepard and Anderson were both lost in the final battle. However, the two long-time friends were also known for not letting death stand in their way.

Waking up, in the middle of a desert, on an uncharted planet they both embark on their strangest mission yet. Attempting to find their way back to the Human Alliance, a place called Canterlot may hold the answers they seek. But first, they had to get there while trying not to draw too much attention to themselves.

Too bad for Anderson since massive explosions and collateral damage followed Shepard wherever she went, without fail.

Crossover of My Little Pony and Mass Effect.
Cover image credit goes to: CSImadmax at http://csimadmax.deviantart.com/
Chapters 1 - 6 proofread by: http://www.fimfiction.net/user/GermanDash (Pre-March 2021 update)

Talks broke down. The unification failed. Hearth's Warming have never occurred. The Great Pony War divided the land, and fears of a prophecy forced the unicorns deep underground and into near extinction.

Almost one thousand years have passed. The curious unicorn Sparkle yearns to breach the surface to discover its many wonders and to search for her missing father and brother, both of whom crossed over many years ago. She is forbidden to leave the safety of her subterranean village of Unicornia until she discovers an orange earth pony washed up on the shores of an underground river. That pony bears one of the six Elements fabled to change the world.

Or destroy it.

Cover art credit goes to ouyrof.

Re:Harmony was conceived before Season 4 aired, so some personalities and character relations do not line up with the show's canon.

Also, please refrain from revealing spoilers in the comments. Thanks!

Changeling Twilight Sparkle and her number-one assistant, Sunset Shimmer, try to study magic without learning any wholesome lessons of friendship. They fail.

"Nopony exists but you, and you are but a thought."

Twilight's life as she knows it harbored a sense of security, but all that changes when Princess Celestia then arrives to deliver a message. To reveal the truth about Twilight's world that the mare's conscious mind has long since forgotten.

As her memories return, she is forced to come to terms with the fact that she was never Twilight Sparkle at all, but rather a structured thought experiment whose knowledge expanded through lives she herself requested to live in order to harbor a greater understanding of existence.

But sometimes there's one life among many that's the hardest to let go of...

Inspired in part by a "Three words" game in The Writer's Group, and Mark Twain's "The Mysterious Stranger".

Edited by Breath of Plagues

Featured on Equestria Daily!
TV Tropes page.

It's been said in prophecies that nopony will know the time or date the magic of Equestria that empowers its citizens would leave. I thought it was just superstitious nonsense written by ancient witch doctors. In a sense, they were right. But I would have never expected it to come like this. —Princess Twilight Sparkle, 05/05/1268

AU tag added due to the Cutie Mark Crusaders getting Cutie Marked.

It has been one of the closest guarded secrets of Canterlot's royalty. Deep in a specially constructed dungeon, surrounded by warding spells and powerful magic barriers, exists an enigma. Within a cage that could only be described as something out of a nightmare, it waits and watches all of Equestria. A creature that cannot age, is immune to disease, does not thirst nor hunger, and resists all injury. But, it also holds secrets and knowledge that could safeguard the kingdom. Its powers are frightening, but it is civil enough for debate when patience permits.

Princess Celestia has sought counsel with the creature before, enduring it making deal after deal for its services. The Princess walks a fine line when dealing with it, knowing full well anything could give it an advantage despite its imprisonment. She has had to go back on her word in these dealings, and from this a deep animosity between them has been born. It is a necessary evil as she is convinced this is a being capable of untold evil far and above anything Equestria has ever dreamed of. So long as it remains within the confines of its cell, her kingdom is made safe. So much magic has been woven to ensure that, there is little chance of escape.

So long as the magic holds, there is no danger. So long as the cage remains strong, the nameless creature stays enthralled in his cavernous dwelling. If that were to change--if the magic failed--not even the wisest could say. But one thing is assured, it does not bode well for Equestria.

Thrust headlong into a strange new world, Solaire of Astora must make amends before he can continue with his mission. Unbeknownst to them all, a shadow from his past approaches.

A charity concert played by the violinist star Melodia Allgrezza, and the chance meeting with the matron of the Heartstrings family leads Octavia to reunite with an old university acquaintance, Lyra Heartstrings. The two of them chat it up and it is revealed that Lyra has a friendly date with Vinyl Scratch, her friend for many years. Octavia is invited along and accepts, joining the two for a night of fun. It quickly develops, however, to something much more than that. For of all the things that Octavia had expected to see when she met up with this Vinyl, it was definitely not a near copy of Melodia Allegrezza.
Curiosity is a virtue, they say, and Octavia's drives her to one question that she will see answered no matter what: What is the relationship between Melodia and Vinyl Scratch? Who are they?

And here we go! My first (chaptered) TaviScratch story! I hope you guys like what you see so far.
I have been sitting with this idea since later summer 2013, and I finally got the chance to write it! This story isn't going to be your usual TaviScratch, I hope, and I will do what I can to mercilessly slaughter and then crush and then burn every trope I come across. I want to bring you guys something unique, and this will be it.

Hop along for a story of love, mistrust, friends and, most importantly, secrets!

Rated Teen for future sexual references, and the likes.