Princess Twilight Sparkle has been losing her mind. She lives plagued by nightmares and hallucinations.

Discovering she's not alone, Twilight realizes Equestria may be in great danger. She seeks counsel with Princess Luna to discover the truth about her nightmares. However, Luna warns Twilight the knowledge she seeks will come at great personal cost.

Twilight Sparkle would give up anything to save Equestria, but how much will she sacrifice just to learn the truth?

Special thanks to Bradel for his editing advice.

Dust has lived on the edge of Ponyville all her life, keeping to herself and studying. She knows Princess Twilight, and so when she realizes she's made a big discovery, she's eager to run to the castle and tell everypony the good news. But when she goes into Ponyville, they don't seem very happy to see her.

Why would that be? She didn't do anything wrong.

Twilight Sparkle is a really awesome ninja[1], but things aren't always as they seem at Ninja High School[2].

Written for the May Writeoff – I Regret Nothing.

Cover picture by Agu-Fungus.

(I apologize in advance. I actually regret everything.)

[Translator's Note 1: a 'ninja' is a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, and open combat in certain situations.]

[Translator's Note 2: a 'high school' is an institution of learning that provides adolescents with part or all of their secondary education, in addition to part or all of their lifelong social trauma.]

Twilight does some research into her tried and true teleportation spell.

There is a village where everypony can be the same.

You may have read some nasty things about it. Rumors of stolen cutie marks and power-mad unicorns. Tall tales about forced smiles and frightened glances.

It's all lies. All except the part about us wanting to escape. That's true.

It's why we came here in the first place.

Winner of the May Writeoff Event.

Princess Cadence tries to legally change her name to "Princess Cadance." Footnotes ensue. Part of the "Cadance of Cloudsdale" cycle, and a crossover with Ghost of Heraclitus's Civil Service stories. Familiarity with neither is required.

Sometimes, you really can go out into the desert and find yourself with the help of a bag of mushrooms and some ponies. Sometimes, you're better off not knowing.

Recommended by Seattle's Angels, The Royal Guard, Titanium Dragon, & Paul Asaran. Includes drug use and cussing.

A mother brings her daughter to Canterlot, for enrollment in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Together, they face the future.

When Second Lieutenant Flash Sentry gives his superior officer Shining Armor a request for transfer, Shining Armor is curious about his motives.

Something is causing the pegasi to follow an irresistible urge to hug their ground-bound cousins, leaving Ponyville foundering in a mildly annoying emergency. Twilight Sparkle ventures into the no-more-dangerous-than-usual town in a desperate attempt to solve the cutesy crisis and finally get her study time back.

Inspired by shortskirtsandexplosions' story Herald.