In a bizarre alternate universe where many things are opposite, cutie marks are chosen not by destiny, but by bureaucracy. Apple Bloom, unsure of her fate, decides to take an extra year to pick her cutie mark, but Diamond Tiara is unusually motivated to make sure that doesn't happen.
Meanwhile, Prince Blueblood, sort-of-kind-of-not-really heir to the throne and only son of the universally beloved Princess Celestia is having another average day at the Cutie Mark Bureau when a horrific attack leaves him without his own mark of destiny. What comes next makes him question everything he believed...

Can two such different ponies as these somehow manage to revolutionize Equestria forever?

...Well, no, because I never finished this story. It's something that's been sitting on my computer forever and thought I might as well share. But if enough people like it, I might be willing to reconsider... (although I'd have to edit what I have right now a bit)

The Apple family are no longer farmers. They are the most feared Sky Pirates in a world where sky ships are common, and earth ponies are looked down upon by unicorns and pegasi alike.

( I wrote this nonsense as a way to combat writers block. So don't expect anything fancy. Still I hope it at least entertains a little )

( We need a steampunk tag for stories )

After waking up from a nightmare she has little memory of, Apple Bloom is stunned to discover that she has become a fully-fledged alicorn! She quickly heads to Twilight's castle, in hopes that the princess will be able to shed some light on her sudden transformation.

Unfortunately, Twilight is just as baffled as the new Alicorn filly, leaving only Celestia herself to possibly have the answer. But both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have gone missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Could Apple Bloom's dream have a connection to their disappearance?

Is there a dark force behind it all?

And most importantly to Apple Bloom; does she still have to go to school?

Cover-Art designed by: Novaintellus

When your whole life has changed, who's going to remain by your side? - Novaintellus

There are many who say that evil has no place in the world. These people are wrong. There is a place for everything, but evil especially. Without evil, we wouldn't have any context for what is good. The world needs villains so that it knows who its heroes are.

But as someone very unhelpful once said, there's evil and then there's evil. Some villains go over the edge, and instead of quietly filling their role as the natural antagonist, they try to overturn the chessboard. Instead of conquering, they destroy.

It's these sorts of villains that give evil a bad name. It's these sorts of villains that King Sombra is dedicated to hunting down.

Made as a birthday present for the utterly brilliant Evehly.

Propaganda is a powerful thing. She took my crimes, my failures, and turned them into a wives tail. Into something you tell your foals to get them to come inside at night. Be good or Nightmare moon will come and eat you up. She did this so when I came back they would not fear me. They would not know me as a monster, just a story book villain.

The Wedding Gambit has succeeded. Canterlot has fallen, the princesses are captured, the Elements defeated. Queen Chrysalis has everything.

But Equestria is more than one city, and Equestria isn't going down without a fight!

Twilight's friends may not be immortal like her, but she's not going to let a stupid little thing like death get in the way of friendship. Now the ruler of Equestria, Princess Twilight Sparkle discovers the truth of life after death: More life. Armed with this new knowledge, Twilight ventures from Canterlot Castle to find and befriend the reincarnations of her oldest friends, whether they like it or not.

Image used with permission of Heavens and Asteri

Feature box story of December 27, 2013. Thanks, everyone!

Nightmare Moon won. She defeated Celestia, broke the Elements, banished the sun. This all happened a very long time ago. So long ago, that she has had plenty of time to change her mind.

Of course, fixing our mistakes is never so simple, and never without consequences. Even with particularly potent help.

"If you came to conquer, you'll be king for a day. / But you too will deteriorate and quickly fade away."
— "No Control" by Bad Religion

A big thanks to Craine, Sorren, and Idylia for prereading and editing. If you enjoyed the story, don't forget to check out their pages.

Equestria Daily
Royal Canterlot Library (FIMfic version)
Russian translation by Doof
Chinese translation by Dreams Set Free

Kitsune Heart has done a dramatic reading of this story! Find it over here.
ObabScribbler has done a dramatic reading of this story! It includes a full cast of voice actors. Find it over here.

Comments contain spoilers.

We all know the story of how the Princess’ young student and five friends defeated Nightmare Moon and brought Princess Luna back to our lands. But what if the tale were false? What if the young Twilight Sparkle on the event of her entrance exam had not been rescued by Princess Celestia, but instead lost her mind among the power of her youthful surge and had to be sent away, far away before she could destroy all of Canterlot with her newfound power. Now the feral unicorn prowling the Everfree Forest only vaguely remembers her past, slipping away from constant terrifying attempts to capture her.

And she is beginning to remember what true power felt like.

Editors include: Peter, Justin, Featherprop, Mitch H, and Bad Horse
Featured on Equestria Daily
Reviewed by Chris on One Man's Pony Ramblings and by Paul Asaran on his review blog
Now with a TV Tropes page

Physical books are available on Lulu.com
Monster in the Twilight (Paperback) 272 pages
Monster in the Twilight (Hardback)

The plan, he thought, was perfect. Instead of returning to the mortal world as a shade of his former self, King Sombra would transmute his soul into the body of his greatest foe, using her influence and power to destroy Equestria from the inside and take vengeance on the Princesses that stole his beloved empire.

There's just one problem: after her fight with Tirek, Twilight Sparkle changed her address. This turns out to be a much bigger problem than Sombra thought. A Dinky-Doo-sized problem, to be precise.

5th-place finalist in the More Most Dangerous Game contest.

Cover art crudely Photoshopped by me from this and this. I am art and so can you.

Reading by Neighrator Pony