I'm lost, but I don't know where I'm from.
I miss them, but I don't know who they are.
My name is Rainbow Dash, but I don't know who I am, or what happened to me.

And I don't know if I'll ever be the same again.

Editing provided by LoyalLiar, Ruirik, and Mooretis. Cover art also provided by Ruirik.
Russian translation provided by Athlete; you can find it here.

[ Inspired off Season 5 Finale - Nightmare Moon Verse ]
Social reject, blank flank, and failed candidate for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight Sparkle's life couldn't get anymore depressing even if she tried. Yet still she looks to the other things in her life to get by, such as her job selling donuts at Joe's Bakery, her best friend Smarty Pants, as well as her inspiration to someday be as great as The Great and Powerful Trixie herself! Life isn't as bad as it may seem, and she enjoys the simplicity of her daily routine, the peace of her recluse world. That is until suddenly she is targeted by the current ruling body of Equestria, Nightmare Moon herself!? Perhaps she spoke too soon. Better run Twilight, destiny is calling!

"The pieces are set, and the dice are in play. But does every pony have the heart for this day?"

Nearly two hundred years have passed since Rarity Belle merged with the Crystal Heart and took the throne of the Crystal Empire. Since then, through her care, determination, and vision, the Empire has flourished like never before. Now Empress Rarity stands as not a ruler of a providence, but the monarch of a rising superpower.

Today though, is the Empress' Birthday, and Lady Merry Sapphire, seneschal to the Empress, is determined to make this the best birthday Rarity has ever had. Little does she know that not everypony shares her enthusiasm for today...

Notes:
This is an official prequel to the Princess Twilight Sparkle's Birthday stories, created by Autumnschild. This story will develop and expand much of the world we made, but taking place 250 years before PTS500 and its sequel, PTS505. Due to its time gap and status as a prequel, you do not need to read the stories created by Autumnschild, and I have done my best to help that. However, knowing what happened in them will help you be a bit more aware of what is going on, and I encourage you to go read them for they are very enjoyable.

We now have our own group! Come check out the Birthdayverse!

Credit goes to Autumnschild for the proofreading for this story.
Razalon The Lizardman is credited for the grammatical overhaul.

Great thanks goes to these two, for this story would not be as good without them.

Two decades after the banishment of Nightmare Moon, her shadow still lingers. Princess Celestia has been left to tend the Twin Thrones alone and protect us all from those who would see Equestria crumble. Our enemies take many forms: some would tear the world down with their claws, others with their smiles. They are monsters all the same.

I have had many names, and I have been many things. Today I am Swift Sweep, and I work for the Equestrian Bureau for State Security.

Special thanks:
NCMares (DeviantArt) for the gorgeous cover art.
Octavia Harmony: primary beta reader and editor throughout the many months of production.
PaulAsaran: for great help with and feedback on plot development and initial story drafting.
Kleora, Cerulean Voice, Nonagon: for further help with editing and story development.

This story is a sequel to Past Sins

In the wake of the battle with Tirek, Twilight Sparkle becomes fixated on restoring Golden Oaks Library. After all, it was home for her little family of three. But as her attempts to repair the books and tree continuously fail, her friends must take matters into their own hooves. Discord, as the good friend he is, tosses Twilight and her extended family into an unexpected adventure while Twilight's other friends get to work on the new crystal palace.

All together, they'll do everything to ensure Twilight and her family have a place to call home when they reach the end of the road.

This story is a sequel to A Moment in the Sun

Sunset Shimmer is on the run. It's been six months since she left her life as Princess Celestia's student behind, but she can't escape her own past. Her parents are offering a reward for her safe return home, and Celestia's agents are watching her every step. She might have gotten out of Canterlot, but the runaway student is still a long way from freedom. Especially since her education with the Princess of Equestria didn’t cover things like how to make a living wage with her magical skills.

However, there might still be one place where she can escape all of them. The infamous island nation of Freeport has long had a reputation as a haven for pirates, criminals, and exiles, but there's no better place in the world for somepony who wants to disappear. The only question is whether Sunset will live long enough to pull it off.

Hopes. Dreams. Aspirations. They're what everyone survives, and even thrives, on. What happens, then, when hopes and dreams are dashed? When something so monumentally destructive and life-changing occurs, and dreams, hopes, even ponies' lives are thrown into turmoil, where can solace be found? When somepony's entire world comes crumbling around them, who can they turn to for support? What can they do when everything they once had is shattered?

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.

This story is a sequel to Vanilla Twilight

Rainbow Dash has a problem.

She might be in love with Twilight Sparkle and has yet to admit it to anypony, least of all Twilight herself. After the events of Vanilla Twilight, the two have grown much closer together, spending more time together and sharing their interests. Unfortunately for Dash, Twilight hasn't caught on to her feelings yet, and she could be content with just letting things progress as they are...

If only she hadn't sent that blasted letter admitting it.

Now, thanks to a pair of meddling princesses, Rainbow Dash finds herself on a globe-trotting journey with the subject of her affections. On the surface, it might just seem like a simple task for the Princess, but for Rainbow Dash, it might be the very thing that forces her to come clean with her feelings, or forever face her doubts. For her, in the world of life and love, sometimes it's best to take it one dream and disaster at a time.