This story is a sequel to Ascend

Congratulations, Twilight. With Celestia and Luna on their constitutionally mandated vacation, you're in charge of Equestria. The position of Regent is an honored and hallowed one. But maybe it's a bit early to congratulate you. After all, whether it's a nobility jealous of your ascension, or a military unhappy with Celestia's decisions; one thing's certain: your reign will be anything but peaceful.

This story is a sequel to A Tale of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

It has been almost a century since Twilight and her friends had discovered their destiny, and Celestia has been wracked with constant regret over the fate she has condemned her friends to. Now Luna looks to those very ponies to help Celestia smile again.

Celestia's story, and a sequel to A Tale of the Sun, Moon, and Stars.

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Cover art by the amazing Aniritak

There is a very good reason that Princess Celestia sends Twilight and her friends to do her dirty work.

There is a very good reason that immortal, impossibly strong alicorns have a fleet of guards.

The newest Princess of Equestria needs to learn what strength really means to an alicorn.

Love doesn't always last forever. And sometimes it can crumble so spectacularly that you never want to see or speak to the other person again.

Celestia was perfectly content with that. But when Twilight Sparkle suddenly appears at the palace in Canterlot, after a century of silence, she has no choice but to talk to her.

Politely, of course. Always politely.

*Credit and many thanks go to littlerobotbird for the concept and editing of the cover art. As near as I can tell, the original picture is Jykinturah's work, but the source post seems to be gone.*

Do you remember being born? Torn away from everything that is familiar and cast out into the unknown?

I do.

It haunts my dreams.

Princess Celestia has been keeping a dark secret from her subjects for a very long time.

It's not an easy truth to tell, but if anyone can accept her after learning it, it will surely be her most faithful student.

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Twilight has something she needs to tell Princess Celestia--something that means a chance at getting everything she's ever wanted, or of losing everything she's ever had.

Something so terrifying that the only way she could say it was in a letter...and so wonderful that she had the courage to send it.

(Thanks to Cenit V for the cover!)

What does it mean to be immortal? Celestia has lived for too long. Her memories are old. She has seen many ponies, and many places, and many times, and many stars, and many dreams. She wakes one night to find she does not know the ponies and the stars of today from the ponies and the stars of any other day she has lived. She no longer knows what was real and what was only dreamed.

She desperately searches for the one pony she knows could not have been a dream.

A strange mare arrives in Twilight’s library, claiming to be her future self—here to stop a terrible plague. But Twilight worries that this stranger’s bold claims may hide something more sinister.

Cover art by Cold in Gardez.

Nightmare Moon won. She defeated Celestia, broke the Elements, banished the sun. This all happened a very long time ago. So long ago, that she has had plenty of time to change her mind.

Of course, fixing our mistakes is never so simple, and never without consequences. Even with particularly potent help.

"If you came to conquer, you'll be king for a day. / But you too will deteriorate and quickly fade away."
— "No Control" by Bad Religion

A big thanks to Craine, Sorren, and Idylia for prereading and editing. If you enjoyed the story, don't forget to check out their pages.

Equestria Daily
Royal Canterlot Library (FIMfic version)
Russian translation by Doof
Chinese translation by Dreams Set Free

Kitsune Heart has done a dramatic reading of this story! Find it over here.
ObabScribbler has done a dramatic reading of this story! It includes a full cast of voice actors. Find it over here.

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