The hands of the clock keep turning. The passage of time continues its unrelenting march. Twilight and her friends continue to live rich lives, accomplishing their dreams and so much more. Yet, what is Twilight to do when, one day, she realizes she doesn't know her friends that well anymore?

Written for April Fools 2014. A bit of sad to balance out all the shenanigans.

What Spike saw in the doorway of King Sombra's crystal palace hasn't left his mind. The fear of Twilight abandoning him haunts him through recurrent nightmares. Anxiety taunts him when he's at his most vulnerable, reminding him of all his failures, all his inadequacies, all his wounds.

One night, this fear and anxiety manifests itself in a full-blown nightmare, dragging Spike face-to-face with his greatest fear. What if Twilight never needed Spike in the first place?

Takes place right after the Season Three opener (before Episode Three).

Thanks to RGLloyd for editing.

Now Featured on Equestria Daily!

Now Featured by The Royal Canterlot Library!

Check out the YouTube reading by the awesome Chinchillax!

Check out another YouTube reading by DJ Tazzlez from Hive Radio!

Rated Teen for some dark elements.

Pony Joe awakens before the dawn each morning, readies himself for his day, and then walks through Canterlot's cold and silent streets to his doughnut shop.

Life has become pretty mundane for Joe, but as he serves his customers and chats with his regulars he realizes that he has come to rely on that repetition...he relies on it to keep from remembering.

As a casual utterance by a new customer sends Joe into a spiral of haunting memories we learn about his life...and what he must give up if he wishes to move beyond his past.

It has been ten years since the defeat of the Changling Queen, and Equestria is again at peace. Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony have reached their prime, and have begun to settle down. Love and life abound in Ponyville, especially for Twilight's friends, but she has nopony to call her own.

There is a reason.

A series of events lead to a horrible revelation, and Twilight is thrust deep into a terrifying web of secrets and lies. Her peace is over.

This time, however, she won't be fighting monsters or madponies. What she faces will be much, much worse.

Act One of Two.

Act Two is here.

Currently undergoing editing by the wonderful Mstar!

A dragon wanders through a starless night, into a land that banished him centuries ago. Never did he imagine he would return to the world that cursed his very existence, but when the sun and moon failed to rise one fateful day, something compelled him to begin the long journey home to the princess who shattered his heart.

It had been a year since Twilight had heard of anything from Trixie after the Alicorn Amulet incident. Unexpectedly, she receives a letter saying that her so called "rival" has tragically died and is requested to be at her funeral.

Thanks to CommanderX5 and Magic Man for editing.

Thanks to Neko-Me for the cover art.

Live Reading by Aria The Brony

"I stood before the doors to Princess Celestia’s private chambers, just as I had so many times before, and waited. I’ve always been a nervous mare before our meetings, wondering if what I had done measured up to her expectations. But I had never before entered those rooms with the blood of another being on my hooves. I swallowed, dreading what I would discover behind those doors."

Twilight faces more than she bargained for when a resort island turns out very different from her expectations, and she must make a decision that will forever change how she sees herself.

It's been a week since the Royal Wedding, and Twilight and her friends are back in Ponyville, safe and sound. However, ever since they returned from Canterlot, all of Twilight's friends have gone through large bouts of guilt over ignoring her warnings. But of all her friends, Twilight is most concerned about Spike, who keeps waking up in the middle of the night with severe panic attacks.

Despite all her best efforts, Twilight hasn't been able to get her assistant to talk about his dreams, or make him feel better about himself since that day. But after another restless night, Twilight has had enough, and refuses to let him go until he talks about his dream.

However, when Spike finally confesses his recurring nightmare, he talks about what could've happened if Twilight never saved the wedding. And what she discovers, is much worse than she could've ever imagined.

I want to thank CYOA_Anon on 4Chan for helping proofread this. The original pic was made by sherwoodwhisper on Deviantart here.

Princess Celestia always knew that Twilight Sparkle was destined for great things, but she never revealed the source of that knowledge, not even to those closest to her. When the day of Twilight's true destiny finally arrives, can Celestia fulfill an ancient promise to save Equestia's past, present, and future, even it means saying goodbye to Twilight forever? How can Celestia refuse her mother's last wish?

Art by the inimitable Harwick

Having spent nearly a year in Celestia's court and by her side, the first and only human in Equestria is in rapidly deteriorating health. And despite all of her power, Celestia finds herself unable to help him.

(Written for the Most Dangerous Game contest, and in far less time than I would have liked. AU tag because for purposes of this story I'm ignoring the mirror world where Equestria Girls took place—this Equestria has no knowledge of humans in any way.)