Being an alicorn is wonderful... except when it isn't. There are plenty of things that put a damper on limitless vistas of possibility afforded by such a long life: Court, mortal needs and expectations, the occasional decade of ennui.

And the dreams, of course. Agelessness comes with its own special kind of dreaming. Celestia finds that her own "Inner Court" is a bit too literal, and it--and she--are troubled at the prospect of a near-immortal Twilight Sparkle.

If only she could articulate exactly why that was.

art by spectralunicorn

Part of the Monophysite Quartet, which also includes Celestia Isn't Real, Have You Considered My Servant, Twilight?, and The Esoteric Rites of Darkness. All four stories have a common origin point in an old story idea I called "Monophysite" and touch on who or what Celestia really is in some way. They are otherwise unrelated.

Nightmare Moon is deathly sick, fallen ill by only the hooves of her banished sister. Twilight knows that her mentor is running out of time, however much she tries to convince herself otherwise. But how far is she willing to go?

Idea by Rated Ponystar

Preread by Curious Quill

Edited by Swan Song

Celestia has loved Twilight for a long time. And yet she has never told her. It never seemed like the right moment, and as an immortal Celestia has time to wait for the perfect moment. Right?

Pure simple Twilestia fic. Told entirely from Celestia's point of view.

•Project dropped. See blog or PM for details.•

In this world, there exist ponies with special abilities to manipulate objects and transform one object into another. These ponies are known as alchemists. However, the process comes with a cost; the basic law of alchemy states that in order to gain something, you must sacrifice something of equal value.

Twilight Sparkle is one such alchemist, her talents renowned across the land. In an accident several years ago, she nearly lost her older brother, Shining Armor, due to a transmutation gone horribly wrong. Twilight's quick thinking allowed her to contain her brother's soul in his suit of armor, but only by paying a great price in exchange.

Now, to get back what they've lost, the siblings embark on a journey to find the elusive Alicorn Amulet, which is fabled to enhance the powers of alchemy...and bypass the Law of Equivalent Exchange.

An adaptation of MLP and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, inspired by Argodaemon's exemplary video.
Rated for moderate violence, themes of mortality, and some language.
Written by Leoshi. Collaboration with Twilight is the BEST, proofread by Spirit Seer.
Previous pre-reading courtesy of Zo, Harmsy, and Famous.

Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle have known each other since the beginning. Celestia has been there for Twilight for her whole life, will she be there after this?

Everypony daydreams.

Some ponies daydream about becoming rich and famous. Other ponies daydream about meeting their one true love. Still others daydream about becoming great heroes.

Celestia's daydreams are nothing like that. Indeed, when her mind wanders, she imagines what her life would be like if she was an ordinary mare. No tiara, no wings, no castle. Just an ordinary mare living an ordinary life in an ordinary town.

What would those daydreams look like?

Note: Special thanks to Justin for proofreading and editing!

Note 2: Electric Boogaloo: FEATURE!!!

Princess Twilight Sparkle pays one of her rare visits to Canterlot since having moved to Ponyville. Visits that had become even more scarce since her coronation, and her former mentor is all the more excited about every moment she can spend with the young alicorn. The guards and servants seem to share her enthusiasm, though for some reason they seem awfully nervous as well.

As always, the two spend some quality time together, reminiscing about fond memories from when Twilight was a mere child under Celestia's tutelage. But the promising filly had grown a lot since then, and both are tempted to see how their relationship had matured.

WARNING: SMUT INVOLVED! If you must know in advance, it's some cuddling and a bit of almost-but-not-quite-kinky tickling. Story is a gift for, and was inspired by a friend, who will remain anonymous.

When Celestia went on sabbatical into the west, she promised Twilight it would be only a couple of months. A year and a half later, the sun resists control, the country is in ruins, and her teacher is lost in the wilds. Twilight has become the apostate, her faith in her teacher and her teachings waning. In the wake of tragedy, her resentment blossoms into fury and she vows that something must be done. Shadows gather around Canterlot, and old things that should not have been awakened are on the move. The Student goes west, her hope restored by friendship and righteous fury.

The night, at long last, is passing.

The purple alicorn had a question, though she already knew the answer.

The white alicorn had an answer, but it wasn't enough.

Princess Celestia has been the sole ruler of Equestria for more than a thousand years. Over those years, she gradually drifted apart from those ponies over whom she watched tirelessly. But now that Princess Luna has returned, and has begun to share the burdens of rule that Celestia has had to carry alone for so long, she is forced to come to grips with the isolation and loneliness that she has brought upon herself. Having kept herself distant from her subjects for so long, she turns to the pony whose friendly nature has already helped to save Equestria on multiple occasions for help and comfort.