The spirit of madness learned his lesson after those pesky ponies re-sealed him in his stone tomb. This time around there would be no princess Celestia, no elements of harmony, and most important of all, no magic of friendship. His plan was to tear the kingdom apart at the seams, and this time, his scheme was perfect. An infinite jest that was to be the jewel in his chaotic crown. Equestria would be torn asunder and his sweet insanity would rule the land once again until the end of time.

We all know the story. Discord was released, had his day of fun, but was eventually defeated by the Elements of Harmony. But what if things didn't go exactly to plan, and Discord didn't sit there and take the final hit? Instead of the God of Chaos being encased in stone, the Mane Six find themselves far from home on an adventure that will change them all. With villains around every corner, and allies in the most unlikely places, how will they defeat Discord?

War comes to Equestria: with despair, with starvation, with suffering and with sacrifice. And the ponies must learn how to keep true to their values while surviving not just the rigors of battle, but the desolation of total war.

Many years after sending her beloved protege to Ponyville, unease sits heavily on Princess Celestia's heart as her relationship with Twilight Sparkle seems to have cooled despite all they've accomplished together. On the advice of her sister, Celestia sets out to investigate and resolve the lost connection with her most faithful student. What does it mean to be a Faithful Student...or a Princess of the Sun?

Earned a six-star rating on Equestria Daily and featured on its very own TVTropes page!.