Twilight isn't feeling well, and unfortunately, that's all anypony knows. Her best friends try to understand, but even they are at a loss. That is, until a petty theft of Twilight's personal diary leads them on the track they least expected.

Art by: up1ter

Featured on: Equestria Daily

It has been a year since I last saw her when she appeared on my doorstep, strangeness in her eyes and a mumbling under her voice.

She asked for my help to investigate a peculiar object, which once held an odd ancient magic. But it's benign now, she said.

It's benign now.

Equestria has been a land of peace in a world that has slowly forgotten that their plowshares were once swords. But that peace is far more fragile than at first it appears, and when the world races towards war, only two sisters can stop the seemingly inevitable.

But there is a cost to dealing in power and influence, and with long life and responsibility comes great sorrow. As the warclouds grow dark and heavy over an unprepared world, two sisters must face their own memories of loss and prepare their young counterparts for what may come.

Loosely apart of the Songverse/Nightverse. No knowledge of any of the stories in that continuity is required to understand this one.

Twilight awakens alone in a strange and forbidding labyrinth of abandoned halls and forlorn chambers with no memories of how she came to be there. All she has to go on in the dark are a few scattered memories, her intuition, and her Princess's vague warning.

Watch for Luna.

Twilight is beyond the title protege. Prodigies are merely brilliant. Twilight has surpassed most of the greatest mages in history before the age of thirty. Twilight's research has changed the landscape itself. She is a living legend who some whisper may be the greatest user of magic to ever exist... perhaps even an equal one day to the semi-divine princesses.

But Twilight's knowledge is not infinite. She has one final lesson to learn. Twilight must learn the Final Law of Magic.

Friendship is magic, but it doesn't always win the day.

Twilight Sparkle knows this...

Queen Chrysalis knows this as well.

Edits by Scarheart, MaddiePink5, Kildeez

FEATURED IN EQD!!! http://www.equestriadaily.com/2016/04/story-friendship-lost.html?m=1
WE GOT A GOOD AUDIO READING! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av4qrFmvkFs&t=87s

Time after time, through chaos and through wars, Princess Celestia prevailed.

Of all the terrible forces she could have fallen to, Flim Flam Industry was the last one anypony had expected.

With thanks to gardrek for editing (3-6) and PinkieDP, Ice Star, and Odd_Sarge for prereading help.

A brave stallion goes on a quest to save the world by finding a lost princess in an enchanted forest. Things don't work out as he planned.

WARNING: Some spoilers in the comments. Also, a few mild spoilers for the Alicorn Adventure series, though it's not necessary to read those stories to understand this one.

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Zabaware/AT&T Natural Voices "reading" by Modoc

Before she left, Twilight told Applejack not to open the door. But when leaving the door shut means compromising her values, how long can Applejack hold out?

Written for the December 2014 writeoff: "Behind Closed Doors"

Side note: I've done some general edits and (hopefully) improved the ending. [26/02/2015]

Twilight and Celestia go off alone, and Twilight will not say what is the matter, only that she may not return at all. Her friends and Luna gather in a vigil at the library the night of the Twilight's unknown trial, waiting for her to come back to them. Twilight faces the most terrible of all decisions, and learns the nature of what she is, and what hopes she may yet have when the sun rises and she returns to her friends.