It has been nearly a thousand years since Twilight Sparkle died. Celestia and Luna are gone. The Holy Equestrian Diarchy, ruled by a bigoted and brutal theocracy, has driven ponies apart and divided them along tribal lines. Unicorns are driven from society, feared and hated.

The lessons of friendship, painstakingly written down in the journal of friendship by Princess Twilight and her friends, have been warped and twisted to fit the Diarchy's hateful ideology. But to the average pony, this is the truth and reality of the world they live in, beset on all sides by enemies monstrous and magical.

Emberglow, a young pegasus mare, aspires to join the elite Knights, magically enhanced warriors dedicated to the holy Saints worshiped by the state religion. Can she uncover the lies and deceptions that have led the world to this bitter place?

Thanks to QueenChrysalisForever for prereading Chapters 1-24. Prereader for chapters 29-31 is MrRTS.
Prereading for chapter 34-? by Horsetorian
Additional pre-readers: bananachips/CommissarVulpin, Thought Prism, Chyre
Special thanks to my amazing editor, Cyonix
Cover Art by JodTheCod

Note on timing: I began writing this long before Season 9 aired, so none of those events happened as far as the narrative of this story is concerned.

Come join us on the Rekindled Embers Discord!

Edit: Featured 8/7/20! Yay and Thanks!

This story is a sequel to Pandemic: Monsters We Make

Sunset Blessing was a mare with a dark history. She had risen to great power and prominence, and it had all come falling down. She wanted nothing else but to withdraw from the world, sure that she had only done it harm.

It was a shock to get a call saying she had been appointed guardian of five foals she had never met before. In doing so, she might help them build a new life, and they might bring life back to her.

This story takes place on a near-future Earth, where over five-hundred million people have been transformed into ponies by a magical pandemic.

Tags: Death and Sad because of deaths that happened before the story, leaving the foals orphans and the main character a widow, not because of any deaths in the story. There is some infrequent cussing.

Short universe background information is provided in the author's notes of the first chapter.

Part of the Pandemic Universe. Note, this AU existed under this title before the actual current pandemic happened.

Cover art by: Mix-up

editors: Javarod, Lawra

Takes place during the Season 5 Finale. (And hints of EqG: Friendship Games)

Sunset Shimmer is out of space in her journal for communicating with Princess Twilight. On a whim, she decides to return to her homeland for a replacement. Unfortunately for Sunset, a pony named Starlight Glimmer was busy enacting revenge, catching Sunset in the crossfire and placing her in a different timeline than she expected. With no Elements of Harmony, no Princess Twilight, and no clue, Sunset must reunite the main six, save the timeline, and find a way home... eventually.

Check out the trailer!~

Rainbow Dash's morning was pretty much ruined.
She tripped getting out of bed and landed flat on her face, giving herself an aching muzzle.
She forgot to buy her favorite brand of hay flakes at the store yesterday and had to eat plain toast for breakfast.
She found out she had to pull double-duty today and tomorrow on the weather patrol.
Oh, and she found a nearly-dead foal, broken and bleeding at the edge of Ponyville.

The rest of her day became a whirlpool of stress and worry but the colt woke up, thank Celestia.
Something's not right, though. Nopony can find his parents, he's not in the registers, and there's an unsettling look in his eye...

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YouTube reading by Fire Hearth

Chinese Translation by forgivenlove

Russian Translation by Likantrop

TV Tropes page, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Tracy Maxwell is in a desperate situation: find somewhere to live, or lose the internship he needs to survive. After exhausting every property in the city, one last option appears the day before his deadline. Sure the agent selling the place is a little weird, and more than a little overeager to get the property signed off. At the worst, maybe there's a little mold in the bathroom somewhere, and he has to make do until the lease is up.

But then he steps inside and discovers things can be much worse. The property is in another universe, and while he's there he'll have to play by its rules. He's free to continue working his dream job, so long as he keeps to the contract. Even worse, he's got a roommate who has no intention of leaving him alone.

If he ever wants to escape, he'll have to read the Fine Print.

This story now has a hardcover! If you'd like one of your own, you can grab it here: https://starscribe.net/

This story is a commission by _Kenzu_!