She was little more than a clone, and one that always failed.

It was no surprise, being made in the reflection of perfection, but why did everyone else care so much about her, especially Sunset, who went so far as to marry her?

She went with it back then, but only under the belief that she could be more than just a sub-par version of Twilight. She gave herself a new name to fit that—Eclipse—but that name should’ve been her first clue it was all futile.

Now, her entire existence and use to the world is dependent upon the answer to one question: What does she have that Twilight doesn’t?

Mean 6!Twilight x Sunset ship, done for the Sunset x Villain Marriage contest

Partially inspired by the MLP prompt here, in regards to the Mean 6 becoming real Ponies

*Featured on 11-12/02/24

Sunset Shimmer wants to become an alicorn more than anything - it's the entire reason why she's Princess Celestia's student. But she's run out of ways to research it and Princess Celestia has blocked her at every turn.

Fortunately for her, there's a new Princess on the block - Cadance. One who's already ascended. One who knows personally and intimately how she did it.

To get her to talk, Sunset will do anything. Even if it means pretending to like - really like - the Pink Pony Of Passion.

Cover art by daOtterGuy.

Featured 8/28/2021-08/30/2021! (And basically every update date after that.)

Now with a TVTropes page thanks to ZanarNaryon!

Trapped in a future where Twilight--now known as Andromeda--has turned into an uncaring, emotionless dark-magic wielding empress, Rarity sometimes contemplates just... you know... accelerating her trip to the heavens, so to speak.

On one such time, she's surprised to find it's Andromeda of all ponies who makes her change her mind.

Takes place in an AU by Maximasmac (a brief explanation of the AU is inside the story). Artwork is also by Maxima and depicts Andromeda.

Rainbow Dash is a simple mare. She loves flying, she loves napping, but most importantly of all, she loves her friends. She loves her family. She loves the little tortoise who sleeps in the corner of her bedroom. She loves her town, she loves her country, she loves her world.

She's never thought about what she would do without it all. She's never thought about what she would do if she woke up one morning, only to discover that the world had passed her by. She's never thought about what she would be willing to do, how far she would be willing to go, to get it all back.

Featured 7/2/22 - 7/8/22

A thousand years ago in Equestria, Luna's frustration and desperation has been building for years and years as her social and political isolation grows, but just before Luna's jealousy and resentment can turn into murderous hatred against her sister, a new event triggars Luna's mental collapse and pushes her over the edge. When Luna by circumstance finds herself alone in Celestia's room she reads her sister's diary out of curiosity and discovers all of the disparaging criticism that Celestia has leveled at her over the years about how much of a nuisance Luna has been to her, but has been too polite to say directly to Luna's face.

Luna and Celestia had always supported and stuck with each other all their lives. Even when the common-ponies critisism and shunning of her was at its worst, the knowledge that her sister loved her kept Luna going. The realization that nopony, not even her own sister valued her or thought she was fit for the throne completely shattered whatever remained of her fragile psyche.

And so Luna just gave up...

She gave in...

If no one wanted her there...

Then she wouldn't stay there...

She would leave.

One night as Apple Bloom is trying to sleep, she thinks she hears... something in the distance. A light is on in the CMC Clubhouse. She goes to investigate, and what she finds shivering in the snow will change her life forever.

Runner-up for the Halloween in April horror contest.

Edited wonderfully by Professor Hyde White, Horse Voice, Cyanhyde, Titanium Dragon, Georg, Babroniedad, Ponibius, and Comma-Kazie

... wow, I had a lot of editors. Lots of great people on this site.

Featured on EQD 06/11/2020

Now with an amazing reading by FaolanCortez!

In the blasted city of Trottingham, a sniper makes his stand against the Changelings and finds glory, or something like it.

Season 5 Finale-related.
So many realities. So many horrible futures. But in yet another alternate timeline, Twilight finds herself in the Golden Oak Library with the Princess of Friendship: Sunset Shimmer. Rather than the awful futures she's seen before, she now finds herself in a timeline that actually seems nice. But that means she has a tough decision to make...

-Awesome cover art used with permission from the amazingly talented Huussii (Teemu Husso).
-Based on an idea from Silver Quill.
-Featured as of 12/8/15! Thank you to all the readers!
-Editors: GenerousGhibli and E3gner

Sunset Shimmer must have felt nervous about meeting Princess Celestia again. She couldn’t even be mad at Celestia anymore, even though by all rights she should. If she could just be loved, maybe that would prove enough.

Finished 8th of 36 in the /fic/ write-off event Here at the End of All Things. Thanks to Aragon and horizon for giving me extensive feedback on the first draft, though that was over four years ago, and they may well not remember doing so.

Featured on Equestria Daily.

Sunset could have been so much more and she knows it. But that fact hurts her far more than she thought it did, leading her to lash out.