This story is a sequel to Lines and Webs

For four long years, Celestia's apprentice Twilight Sparkle, once a model pony and a hero among heroes, has waged a bitter and secret struggle with her onetime mentor. Though she works from the shadows, directing her forces from the Old Capitol in the Everfree Forest, Twilight Sparkle is unable to gain any advantage,

Likewise, Princess Celestia finds her once-faithful student far more cunning and elusive than she had anticipated, and even now searches for a way to bring Twilight Sparkle's rebellion to its knees.

It is a game of greys, of knives in the dark and of poisoned wine, where pawns are moved and traded and exchanged for greater advantage, all the while drawing both sides nearer to the conflict which shall tear Equestria in two.

At the center of this conflict is a new pawn, one who only wished to see the truth for herself. Drawn into a deadly game whose rules she does not understand, Sweetie Belle must learn to survive in a world where all is darkened, and nopony can be completely trusted.

Because when gods play chess, all pieces are expendable.

A nation will crumble, old enemies shall return in the most unexpected ways, and regardless of who is victorious, only one thing can be certain.

Nothing shall ever be the same.

Followed by Stormsinger.

It has been ten years since the defeat of the Changling Queen, and Equestria is again at peace. Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony have reached their prime, and have begun to settle down. Love and life abound in Ponyville, especially for Twilight's friends, but she has nopony to call her own.

There is a reason.

A series of events lead to a horrible revelation, and Twilight is thrust deep into a terrifying web of secrets and lies. Her peace is over.

This time, however, she won't be fighting monsters or madponies. What she faces will be much, much worse.

Act One of Two.

Act Two is here.

Currently undergoing editing by the wonderful Mstar!

Recently rewritten. Contains occasional adult humor and violence.
***
On a request from Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the mane six explore an abandoned mansion located deep in the woods. While doing so, they unwittingly stumble across an enchanted mirror that scrambles their DNA and pops out three brand new bouncing baby ponies. Hilarity and drama ensue as the mane six must cope with being suddenly thrust into motherhood, as well as protect their new foals from a dark god that wishes to use them for his own sinister gain.

***

Fanart:
The three foals. by Freefraq on Deviantart.

My name is Artemis, I was sworn in as Princess Celestia's personal guard quite some time ago. I've watched her for so many years and silently stood by her side during all the recent ups and downs of her reign. Now I'm going to tell her how I feel. I know it would never work, we're just too different. But sometimes, there are things in a stallion's life he just has to do, and things he has to get off his chest.

What happens tonight will be anypony's guess, but one thing is for certain... it will be a night to remember.

Part one of the "To Love" trilogy. > Part two can be found here<
Teen for slight language and very mild suggestive themes.

Edited by Darastrix.
Pre-read by Azu and NATOstrike.

For almost a thousand years, the immortal Nightmare Moon has reigned over Equestria as Empress. To the average pony, Nightmare Moon is an overarching enigma whose rule is absolute and whose wrath is terrible. But to Twilight Sparkle, who as an orphan has never known her parents, the Empress is something else entirely. When the young unicorn is brought under the royal wing as an apprentice, she learns a great deal more about the supposed tyrant than she ever knew. But as Twilight is introduced to life with her new mentor, she is thrust into a world of political intrigue, conspiracies and secrets. Secrets that were never meant to be revealed. As allies and enemies plot against the very peace of the nation, will Twilight fall prey to the perils of her new position? Or will she prosper and find in Nightmare Moon the mother she never had?

============

My eternal gratitude to my editor, LordOfTheWrongs, without whom Night's Favoured Child would not be the story it is today.

Now with added TVtropes!

You'd think that being trapped in stone would mean that, if nothing else, I could get some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, it seems that Celestia has other ideas.

She has appointed these ponies... these 'Keepers', as she calls them, to keep me entertained during my incarceration.

Honestly? I'd prefer the boredom.

Cover art by matrosha123
Spanish Translation by SPANIARD KIWI found here

Big Macintosh goes on strike when he sees he's the one doing all the heavy lifting and harder work at Sweet Apple Acres while his sisters frolic. His idea catches fire throughout Ponyville, and soon every stallion is up in arms! Sexism explodes in the tiny town, it's Stallions on Strike!

In the dark,six voices dwindle. They drift, forgetting life and love and hope, eaten away by time and void.

And then, suddenly, there was colour.

'A wise man once told me that 'Proper story's supposed to start at the beginning'.

We all know how this story starts. We all know how a thousand years ago, the Princess of the Moon betrayed her sister, the Princess of the Sun, and how a thousand years ago, Equestria lost one of its leaders.

What we never knew was that, a thousand years ago, two follies were created: a truce... and a promise.

And now, both of those have been violated.

We are about to pay the price.'

[Humanized ponies]