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!

CURRENTLY PUBLISHING PHYSICAL COPIES, UNTIL THE 25th OF SEPTEMBER: http://igg.me/at/InnerGloryFinalFund

After doing some research into the history of Alicorns, Twilight finds a dead end. When she chooses to pursue it against Celestia's wishes, she finds herself entangled in a messy history that some want forgotten. An Alicorn's position comes with sacrifice. And when given power, one will always be in want of more...

A complicated explanation for the history and intricacies of the My Little Pony universe. If you're reading this, be ready for the long haul.

A rewrite, or rather, the heavily revised and actually worth reading version of The Struggle for Power, my earlier work. Think of that as an alpha build, and this as the "released-to-the-public" program.
http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/05/story-struggle-for-power.html

Twilight loves her. She is the Princess, the beautiful, powerful, kind ruler of Equestria. But when the Princess denies her, Twilight vows to become stronger, to be better. Until one day, she will be so powerful that not even her mentor can ignore her any longer. One day, she would make Celestia love her back.

"It's so nice to see you again!" said the thing that was not Celestia. "Oh yes, I know who you are, Twilight Sparkle. I had a taste of your magic the first time we met. Mortals forget things so easily, I find. Allow me to refresh your memory: you tried to kill me. But you failed, Twilight Sparkle. You only mostly killed me. And I guess that makes you one very unlucky little pony."

[Please read the author's notes after the expansion before reading. Thank you]

Welcome to the new Equestria, Twilight Sparkle. See your friends at each other's throats? You have to choose between them now, to stop the heartache of war with decisive victory. For the nation lies bleeding, its harmony shattered into a million pieces. Black and white and right and wrong have blurred together.

You must choose wisely, or all shall die.

~Image by JohnJoseco~ If anyone can find a fitting, unique image for this story, please do not hesitate to link in the comments.

[Author's Note]

The following stories should be read in order to get a good grasp on references to previous works.

- Sunset (Mandatory)*
- My Little Muffin (Optional)
- Clash of the Heavenly Titans (Optional)*
- Blood is Thicker / The Reluctant Reunion of the Redoubtable Rabble-Rouser (Strongly Recommended)

All can be found on my Deviant Art account: http://ciroton.deviantart.com/
Those with * can be found here on FIMFiction.

This story is a sequel to Princess Celestia: The Changeling Queen

This story is a direct sequel to Princess Celestia: The Changeling Queen. Reading that first is necessary to understand any part of this story.

Co-authored by vren55 and Zervziel

Alternia, sister to Chrysalis, ruled Equestria for a thousand years, disguised as Princess Celestia, while the alicorn slumbered in a healing sleep. Now revealed, Alternia prepares to become Equestria’s first changeling princess, and prove herself to the ponies she loves at the side of her co-rulers Luna and the newly-returned Celestia.

But even as the crown descends onto Alternia’s head, something is stirring in the depths of the Eastern Sea, something that will turn the surface world onto its head. Some power that could destroy Alternia, and all that she loves, before she can even regain the approval of her own ponies.

Will Alternia restore the trust her ponies once placed with her? Will she found a hive? Will she find love?

All that is certain is that Equestria, and the world, will never be the same again.

Now with a TV Tropes page.

Empress Tethys and the Kelpies Created by Zervziel

That Fantastic Cover art is by Plainoasis

Pre-read and edited by:
Blankscape,
FinalFan,
Courage Fire
Cosmic Cowboy

Idol Hooves holds a special place in Equestria. He's probably the only exiled changeling to serve in the Royal Guard, or at least, that's what he expects, as exiles don't really broadcast that fact. However, it's well known that Princess Celestia loves all of her little ponies, and her guards perhaps more so, and that makes it one of the best ways for a changeling to discreetly feed.

But how does a changeling even get there, let alone get exiled in the first place? For that matter, why would it ever go to Canterlot? Set a number of years before the series proper, before Luna’s redemption, Idol details how he was exiled, the ponies he’s met, and the series of misadventures that led him to joining the Royal Guard, and should continue a good ways into the series, as something of an alternate perspective.

Soon, he’ll have to deal with a boisterous new princess to serve and a royal wedding in the works bringing a third to power. Will his old instincts bring this new life crashing down around him? What precipitates Chrysalis’s ill-fated assault on Canterlot? Is it really so wrong for a changeling to enjoy good craftsmanship to an obsessive degree?

New cover art provided by the fantastic Carnifex

And a TVTropes page here.

And an Ask Blog of questionable canonity!
Out of Idol Curiosity

Fanart by Norad2! Major thanks! Short For a Royal Guard

Art by Egophiliac of Idol and his Daring Duckie Please don't tell him what that brush is meant for.

Rating updated to (T), it's a bit darker than (E)
Comedy Tag added as well
And changed the character tags a bit.

In the aftermath of her battle against Tirek, Twilight Sparkle is unwell. She wants more. She needs more. And she is afraid of what others might think of her.

But even in the midst of her growing despair that she has betrayed everything she stood for, she learns something about friendship and what it means to be an alicorn.