When Twilight Sparkle was just a kid, her best friend was a girl named Sunset Shimmer. Though their friendship had a bit of a rocky start, they quickly became inseparable, no matter how much everyone thought of them as ‘weird’. They were there for each other.

Were.

Years after the tragic accident that tore them apart, Twilight is determined to move on from her loss, and she sets off on an independent research project to investigate the strange happenings at Canterlot High. Little does she know that she will soon come face to face with what appears to be a literal ghost from her past.

Coverart by Kare-Valgon. Chapter illustrations by Zorbitas.

Edited and Pre-read by Dubs Rewatcher, r5h, and Kalan.

Takes place after Rainbow Rocks, but was written before Friendship Games and does not take it into account.

Chinese translation

Print copies now available.

This story is a sequel to Princess Twilight Sparkle's 505th Birthday

Smarty Pants, Honeycrisp, and Sandy find themselves stuck in the salad days of Equestria, four hundred and eighty years in the past. Can they get back without screwing up everything?

Probably not.

This story is a direct continuation of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s 505th Birthday, which is itself a continuation of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s 500th Birthday. To really get a grasp on what’s going on you should give both of those a read in the right order. You can skip them if you'd like but... Oh boy, will you have questions.

Notes:
- Cover art commissioned by HAK2. Check out his other stuff, too.
- This is a story in the Birthdayverse.
- Many thanks to my faithful Pre-Reader and all around super-duper best pony, Blood Lord go read his story, too!
- And thanks to the newest pre-reader to join in the craziness, Razalon The Lizardman. Keeper of the mighty Em dash! Go read his stuff, too!
- Dedicated to my wife. Her love keeps me going and her snark keeps me smiling.

As always, please leave comments and critiques.

It occurred one peaceful night. Half of Equestria awoke to the sound like a double-shot thunderclap. A percussion heard in the skies and rattling windows from Apploosa, to Canterlot, to Ponyville. Nopony knew what it was or what it heralded for the world as it drew a line across the nation.

For Twilight Sparkle, this isolated incident might have faded from memory after a time, if not for the strange rumors of a creature sitting on the hill on the outskirts of town.

These are her thoughts given written form. These are Sparkle's Notes.

Report EVERYTHING to the Princess.

Twilight Sparkle presents a collection of interviews, letters, essays, poetry and prose compiled over several years of her relationship with the human Bellerophon and his "herd", covering subjects as broad as Equestrian social taboos, comparisons of earth and Equestrian mythology, romance and the occasional recipe. Compiled by Twilight Sparkle, with foreword by Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia.

(This is a bit of an experiment based on the worldbuilding concepts presented in AnonAuthor's Xenophilia [[NSFW] - caveat lector!], which intrigued me enough to want to take a closer look. It's likely you'll be very confused by this unless you read at least some of Xenophilia. Updates will appear as and when an idea pops into my head for a thing to add. And fair warning, some of this might come across very dry and dusty. Thank you academia! And thank you AnonAuthor for letting me have a go, and both AnonAuthor and AnonponyDASHIE for all the collab work they're doing. I'll make up for the dust by tossing in the odd piece of art now and then.)

In a moment of weakness, Chrysalis had more than a taste of Shining Armour's love. 11 months later, Twilight Sparkle finds herself a brand new niece by way of 'A small foal in a basket on my door step'.

Special thanks for the picture by Awilldrawforfood1
Now edited with DoomManta.

[2nd Person Perspective]

Working as a waiter at Canterlot's various social gatherings is a nice job. Especially since you began chatting with the cello player of the usual quartet, Octavia. You've gotten to know a lot about her, but one night there seems to be something on her mind. You offer her a drink to ease her nerves and you bring your glasses together in cheers.

Next thing you know, you wake up in a strange hotel room in a town you've never been to next to a certain gray mare.

Art by John Joseco

In the depths of Equestria's archives there is a song. A song of a legendary hero, who would keep evil at bay, and rout even the most fiercest foe. This hero was said to have the blood of dragons flowing in his veins and a heart filled with fire, who could command the world with his voice. Not much is known about this song or it's origin, but when a curious purple unicorn discovers it, she decides to put on a performance for her closest friends and her beloved mentor. Little does she know the power and significance of this song. For better or for worse, this is the Ballad of the Dovakhiin.

Note: Please read, rate and comment. Struggling writer trying to improve. I do not own Skyrim, MLP FIM, or this awesome story image.

Sequel of Moving On: Silver Spoon's Story

Edited by- Lewie!
Many thanks to Steel Resolve & Comma-Kazie

Having faced and surpassed the challenge of making new friends, Silver Spoon's tranquil and simplistic world comes to an abrupt halt once family obligations begin to lurk in her shadow. With the help of the crusaders, Silver Spoon and co. uncover a Silver family secret that could possibly shift the fate of all of Ponyville.

A man comes to Equestria. It's nice. Rainbow Dash becomes his friend, but something's bothering her...

He seems to be hiding something. He's told her a lot of things, things he hasn't talked about to anypony else, but there's still something eating at him. So, she psyches herself up for a visit to get to the bottom of it.

An earth pony from the classical era once described life as a series of unexpected surprises. For some that’s more true than others. Luminescence knows this all too well. Falling in love with someone outside her species was never part of the plan. But love didn’t much care for her plans.

Likewise Hiro Blueforest only expected to do his graduate studies at the Lunar Institute for Advanced Thaumaturgical Studies. Maybe research for a year or two and then return back to his people’s lands. Now his plans have been derailed and he finds himself stuck in between two cultures and pulled both ways by politics.

It’s not going to be easy for either of them, but the more difficult the problem, the greater the reward!