War was something Dash thought would never happen—at least, not under the era of peace and harmony they were living in and Celestia being the current ruler? That decreased the chances even more.

All that changed on one faithful day where Celestia was overheard declaring the Pegasi beneath them and they were just petty ponies underneath her rule.

Why did she do it? Nopony had a clue.

Angered, the pegasi declared war upon Celestia, using Commander Hurricne's Contingency stating that, if there was any possibility of betrayal from the other races, they could break the treaty between them.

Dash was torn.

Fight for the rest of Equestria? Or her own blood?

She was in the Wonderbolts, she didn't have a choice...

This is a Collaboration between myself and MLP333 who is on Wattpad, not on Fimfiction but, give her a follow anyways!

All the odd numbered chapters will be written by me and the even numbered ones by MLP333

Hope you enjoy this story!

Rainbow Dash was the Iron Wing. She was a war hero, the Slayer of Shadows, the Liberator of the Crystal Empire, the Wrath of Celestia. And depending on who you ask, she still is.

But the war is over. There's little need for a pony like her in peacetime. So she keeps telling herself that she needs to adjust, that she needs to find a new role to fill in the world that she saved. But Equestria seems content to let her remain what she has become, even though they have no need of a warrior.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be", is something she keeps telling herself. But every time she says it, the only thing she can reply is, "so what should it be?"

One whole year after the close of the war, and Rainbow Dash still doesn't have the answer.

Art by NCMares.

How did this happen. King Sombra has returned and taken over the Crystal Empire, the elements bearers are divided, and Equestria is at war. To understand the end we must start at the beginning, and it all started when Rainbow Dash preformed her first sonic rainboom.

Cover Art by Ccphony on DeviantArt.
Made the popular stories 9/3/16, 9/4/16, 9/5/16. Awesome! Three days straight.

This story is a sequel to Loyalty to the King

Slight gore in chapter 2.

Sombra and Rainbow Dash took over the Crystal Empire, Equestria now finds itself at war. Then after the first major battle Sombra makes an unexpected move, a peace treaty. But what will it mean for the future of both nations.

Cover art by SpectrumBlaze on DeviantArt.
Tags may be subject to change depending on how the story progresses.
Made the popular stories 9/17/16.

A/N: Even though the cover art is bad ass it's not what Rainbow will be wearing in the story. Also certain events won't happen like Twilight becoming a princess as it took all the elements to make her into an alicorn.

Twilight Sparkle, a ward of the crown ever since she accidentally turned her parents into plants, is dispatched by Queen Celestia to the small hamlet of Ponyville; the Unicorn has expressed fear that an eldritch Alicorn of the past will arise there. And when Twilight Sparkle fails to defeat the fiendish NightMare Moon in the two Queens' former palace of Concordia Arbos, the planet is plunged into night on one side and day on the other. With only shards of rock to her name and a band of ponies at her side, she sallies forth to bring back the Sun. She will traverse field and mountain, desert and labyrinth if she needs to. Will she be able to solve the mystery of the Elements of Harmony? Who was NightMare Moon, and what evils come to Equestria apart from her everlasting night? And why does Queen Celestia believe that making friends takes priority over everything else for Twilight...?

Can be found on TV Tropes.
Has a YouTube reading by our own Alchemystudent.

The Elements of Friendship, Book I: Harmony
The Elements of Friendship, Book IS [interlude one-point-five]: Bonds
The Elements of Friendship, Book II: Chaoskampf
The Elements of Friendship, Book IIS [interlude two-point-five]
The Elements of Friendship, Book III
The Elements of Friendship, Book IIIS [interlude three-point-five]
The Elements of Friendship, Book IIII

In the war against King Sombra and The Crystal Empire, there have been a great many ponies who have earned the title of hero. Some have shown toughness and a relentless spirit. One such hero is Rainbow Dash. Not even the loss of her wing or her best friend could stop her from fighting for Celestia and Equestria.

But how far is she willing to go? How much is one pony willing to sacrifice if it means an end to the war?

(Based on the Crystal Empire war universe of Cutie Re-Mark. Also shows one possibility of what may have happened to Twilight Sparkle in this universe.)

War is brutal. It asks you questions with no right answers. It leaves scars on your body and mind.

War is a game in which you will always lose.

And Rainbow Dash might've just lost everything.

Rainbow Dash's life as a soldier during the Crystal War is much like the lives of everypony else around her, full of hardships and struggles. However, there are a few positive moments that keep hope alive. But achieving victory and ensuring a brighter future may be significantly tougher than she expects despite the support from her friends.

Unfortunately, the beginning of her journey is defined by the moment she lost her wing.

This story is a sequel to First

A call for help from an old friend takes Rainbow Dash to a place she'd rather have out of her life, but her business there isn't finished. In a town on the far northern border of Equestria, she'll have to discover how to resolve and close a painful chapter of her past for good by confronting once again what she left there five years ago during a brutal conflict that exacted a haunting toll on her... And an even bigger one on somepony that she loved.

This is the sequel to my previous story, First. The continuity isn't really too heavy, so you can probably get away with not reading "First" before reading this. A few references may make more sense if you do, but it won't break the story if you choose not to. Your call, really.

UPDATE: Another prequel to this, Born in Equestria, is now available, too.

When Rainbow Dash makes a startling revelation to Twilight Sparkle, it sparks a serious discussion about painful events in the past, what the future holds, and self-realization and the nature of destiny.

Featured on Equestria Daily on December 14, 2011!

"Equal parts heart-wrenching and beautiful. The author has managed to portray Dash in a way I never thought possible."
- EQD Pre-reader #R107

UPDATE: The final edition is written and published as of October 12, 2015!

The sequel to this story, Scent of Roses, is now complete!

The other sequel (although chronologically a prequel, technically), Born in Equestria, is also now finished.