The Fire of Friendship has all but faded. One thousand years ago, Equestria fractured... those who disagreed with Celestia's rule left under the leadership of Princess Luna to found their own nation, their own way of life. Seventy years later, Celestia and Luna both disappeared during the first war, leaving the battered nations leaderless in their absence.

Over the last nine hundred years wars have frequently waged between Equestria and Lunaria, each seeking to unite ponykind under their own ideals. Equestria's mastery of magic often gave it the edge in battle, but never enough for a decisive victory. Peace reigns for now, but recent developments in Lunaria signal a shift in the balance between the two divided nations...

This story is a sequel to Agate's Vigil

Times change.

It's a slow process, usually. Over the eons, civilizations rise and fall, cultures change, new technologies get invented and become lost. For the individual person, such events happen too slowly to even notice.

However, sometimes, change is sudden and cataclysmic. A catastrophe forces people to take drastic actions, upending their known world completely. One such event happens to the three pony tribes in the form of the Long Winter, forcing them to flee their ancestral lands.

The vast majority of them flee southwards, with the exception of one earth pony clan. Past the steep northern mountains, the refugees are doing their best to adapt to their new surroundings and rebuild their homes. These are their stories.

A prequel to how the snowponies came to be. Each chapter is a separate story.

Sombra's takeover took everyone in the Crystal Empire by surprise. No one saw it coming, none were prepared for it, and almost no one got away. Almost.

A few hooffuls of daring souls managed to break out of the city and flee southwards, towards Equestria. Some ran to beg the Princesses for aid, others - just to save themselves and their families from the mad tyrant.

But as the refugees are about to learn, it's the dead of winter outside the Empire's shield, and the crystal ponies are far too used to their warm life in the city. One filly that gets separated from her parents while trying to get away learns that fact all too painfully...

Cover art by Marbo, Allfather of the Snowponies.

Additional tag:snowpony

Hi. My name's James. If you're reading this, then one of two things have happened. One, you're another human that got sent to this shit hole and was able to find my shelter. Or two, you're one of the ponies that found me and I'm probably rotting in a cell or getting experimented on. If the former, good luck. If the later, go fuck yourself.

Fluttershy has been keeping things from her friends, ever since she was a filly.

She has passed on many opportunities to tell them and that will stop today! She finally decided to call a meeting in with her friends to find out if they'll even stay her friends afterward.

However, she is quick to realize...

She's not alone...

[Credit to KingSombraTheTyrantRuler for helping me straighten this short story out, and credit to whoever made the cover picture,]

[Side note this soon-to-be series is a clear spinoff [with permission obtained long ago] of Undead Robot Bug crusaders I give credit to Banjo64]

Book III
Everything looks to be going well for Dusk. He has great friends, a good life and a mare he would give his heart to. It seems like, after all of this happiness, nothing could possibly go wrong and things can only get better.
But as he learns, things have to get worse before they get better. And they do, for after a thousand years trapped in stone, Discord is freed from his entrapment, to reign chaos over Equestria once more.
The only one not connected the Elements of Harmony, Dusk ends up being left behind for his own safety, seemingly useless in the fight. But that changes when Princess Luna sends him into the Everfree Forest, searching for something that might help them. Can he find this strange artifact, if it even exists? What exactly is it? What is this prophecy about?
Discord also starts to take an interest in him and soon, through the spirit's magic, Dusk must face his greatest challenge yet, an enemy thought to be non-existent: his darker side, created by the spirit of chaos.
Can Dusk survive and discover his destiny or will his darker self take over forever?
Cover again by the great Quillin Words. Thanks man!

Book II
Brought out of the darkness of solitude and into the light of friendship, Dusk returns once more to see and learn just what magic and wonder friendship has in store for him. Once thinking he was the most useless, pointless pony to ever exist, he has now found those who care for him and appreciate him for who he is, opening up new possibilities never even considered.
He will join the girls on their adventures and experiences with friendship’s magic, helping them along as they go, having a few of his own and learning and discovering new aspects of himself that become open now friendship is known to him. Along the way, he will also make new friends, challenge his own beliefs and convictions once more and just discover how much more wonderful life is with friends as a part of it.
But that’s not all that concerns him here. He needs to do something different about himself, but what? He has his colour magic, but where exactly did it come from and are there others he shares it with? Twilight may be his best friend but… what’s this new feeling that he has when he’s around her now?
All of this will be explored, as Equestria prepares to see a brand new Dusk.
Cover again by Quillin Words.

Book I
Meet Dusk Noir, a unicorn stallion from Canterlot. He attends Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, has a liking to learning and reading and has a unique magical talent. He seems like he would be happy, but there's just one problem: he doesn't have any friends. It's not that he doesn't want them, but he just feels that he wouldn't be worth the time of anypony. He sees himself as unremarkable, a waste of space and not much to bother with. There's only one pony he'd even consider being good enough as a friend for and he doesn't even know how to say the first word to her. It seems like he will always be alone.
Until one night, when he discovered by the Princess of the Sun and is sent to Ponyville to meet her at last. Can he achieve the goal of earning her friendship and much more besides or will he be simply left alone?
This is a story that I began as a sort of creativity outlet when I discovered how much of a fan I was of the series. From there, it just kind of grew and I enjoyed continuing it. Doubtless, you probably know what it's going to be about before you even read it and would even be tempted to point it out. I won't try and change what you think, all I ask is that you give it a chance.
There are two more stories following this, both of which along with the fuller version of this one, can be found on my fanfiction account. Just search my username and you'll find them, if you really want to read more that is. I'll try posting on as regular a basis as I can. That is, if it's received well.
This first one isn't my best, I'll admit that much, but I certainly did try my best with this one and what I had planned for it. I hope you enjoy it.
The cover was by Quillin Words and he did a fantastic job, thanks dude!

Prince Flameheart Von Ashen, or simply known as ‘The Flame Prince’ is the Heir to the Royal Throne of The Kingdom Of Fire. Based out of the city of Ashen in the northwestern corner of Equestria. He and his Flame Ponies have lived alone, isolated, and in near poverty for over a millennium after they lost the Great Fire Wars many centuries ago. However they have not remained inactive, and the young Prince will soon find himself the centerpiece of a plot to reclaim their place in the sun.

The rainboom was not the beginning. 

Forty years after the lunar rebellion and the Long Night, two young deer hungry for adventure find a mysterious crown in the blasted ruins of a pony castle. Honor-bound to return the artifact to its rightful owner, they must travel through a dark and dangerous land to uncover the secrets of the crown’s power and save the spirit of a wayward queen.

A story about trust. Written for the Choices species-swap contest.