This story is a sequel to π

After Twilight Sparkle made her biggest secret public much earlier than she'd originally planned, the lives of the Element-Bearers and their closest friends somehow managed to become even more complicated than they already were. Yet despite the flurry of all of the added activity this brings, Princess Celestia decides to undertake a particularly ambitious project: the reformation of Discord. She delegates the task to Penumbra Noctis, who, more than anypony else, can empathize with the draconequus' situation, and who is therefore best suited to showing Discord the magic of friendship. On the surface, it's a very reasonable plan.

Unfortunately, Discord has never had much patience for reason.

This is the fifth and final story in The Petriculture Cycle. Reading the first four stories, which begin here, is highly recommended.

Artwork by Page Turner. TV Tropes page by an unknown number of anonymous persons on the internet.

Novel Tale is an author that's been living in Canterlot for about ten years now. That's a pretty good track record for a changeling. He's even included a changeling character in his latest book, and his fans have been loving his take on such an obscure mythological creature, especially his biggest fan, Twilight Sparkle. Things are looking up!

Then an army of changelings from another hive attacks Canterlot.

Now all of ponykind knows that changelings are real, and his readers are sure to realize that the changeling in his book was too similar to the real thing to have just been based on a myth...

earlier chapters have been revised as of 7/19/13 to be more inline quality wise with the later chapters.

Featured on EQD 10/5/13!

Let it be known that there will be extensive changeling world building in the chapters to come.

cover image courtesy of ackdari.

Much thanks to Nyerguds for proofreading and to all my fellow tropers on the TvTropes pony fanfiction thread for helping me develop this from a vague idea into an actual story.

====Originally Written June 2011=====EQD Link====
There is a shadow to all of existence, a place that all worlds are shielded from by a thin veil. A Dark Place, where a single presence plots and struggles to consume all creation with its darkness. The author Alan Wake is one who has defeated this Dark Presence, but to save his wife and his world Alan had to remain trapped in the darkness.

Now, through his struggles to return to his wife, Alan has unintentionally released the Darkness and an old villain upon Equestria. To fix the mistake, Alan starts a new story with Twilight Sparkle as the protagonist. Can the unicorn find the strength to face the darkness, or is all of Equestria doomed to be the victim in the dreadful horror story?

Note: Story assumes no preceding knowledge of the game Alan Wake. Written for any MLP:FiM fan to enjoy.

Update: The story is edited into a proper read without many of the horrors I originally put into it. Enjoy the ride!

Deciding he could be given another chance, Luna and Celestia come to an agreement to release the Chaotic God from his rocky imprisonment, locking his powers with a powerful spell. Magicless and with a chance at redemption, Discord's ways seem less chaotic than ever.

He does cause a lot of chaos though, to the faithful student of Celestia, who had eagerly taken over the task of watching over and teaching Discord by giving him a home under her own roof, in the process hoping to learn more about his species, powers and motives but surprisingly learning much more about both himself and her head... Which puts her in pretty amusing situations most of the time.

An adventure of a silly one sided (???) love and a look into the heart of Twilight Sparkle.

It's been a thousand years. Princess Luna is returned, and the castle staff must scramble to see that she has servants to attend to her needs, and just as importantly, that they look the part. Of course, it turns out that it's rather difficult to find competent servants on such short notice. A hooffull of servants are chosen based on their appearance and duties, and are assigned to serve the Moon Goddess as personal retainers until more suitable replacements can be found. When coloring, Cutie Mark, and chance coincide, one of the castle's junior stewards is thrust into a role any loyal servant ought to jump at: Lunar Hoofservant. Unfortunately for Nightlight, Princess Luna is far more demanding than her older sister, and being her servant means contending with an unforgiving goddess who demands nothing short of perfection. Furthermore, somepony must be responsible for the inevitable failure. The duty of "Royal Hoofservant" just might be synonymous with "Royal Scapegoat."
Saddled with responsibility far beyond his post and expected to fail, Nightlight has no choice but to quit his post or to become the servant that Luna needs. This is the story of a pony's development from colt to stallion, and from servant to leader.
Thanks much to DirePony for the editing and story direction he's graciously provided me.
Rated 'Teen' for alcohol use, mild innuendo/sexual references, and pony-swears.
Not based on the (excellent) sci-fi novel of the same name by Robert Heinlein.

The legends told of their return.

For over a decade Equestria has been beset by the dragons. Every year more villages vanish in flames, and the lonely cities stand as our last redoubt. Winter has gripped the world, and our hope is fading.

But the legends tell of another, a light in the darkness. The Dragonborn, a mythic warrior reborn with the power of the Voice, the only one who can stand against the dragons.

But when she appeared, she was not what we were expecting...

The Lone Wanderer has been known as the man who shouldered the nightmares of every man, woman and child in the wasteland, so that they may live. But when the Wanderer was once again abducted by aliens, he found himself falling, quite literally, into a whole new wonderous world, untouched by the horrors of nuclear devastation.

He has been facing other people's nightmares constantly for almost a decade, it was high time he was allowed to wake up.

Meanwhile, the ponies of Equestria are baffled by a strange object that fell from the sky.

Fallout/FIM crossover. HiE. T for violence and some language.

Now with a TVTropes page!

Two enemies wind up in Equestria due to a major mishap. Will they come to terms with this world? Most importantly, will they be able to put their old feud aside to survive?

It was another one of those days. You know the type... the kind where an omnipotent tomfool decides to invade your town and turn everything topsy-turvy. Rarity and her friends thought they would just have to break out the Elements of Harmony once again to take Discord down and bring back some normalcy. But when a shockwave of mysterious energy sends her to a world she's never known, twisting her perception of reality right down to her very body, she's going to need a lot more than some magic jewelry to bring any sense of normality back to her life.

It was another one of those days. You know the type... the kind where you have no obligations or responsibilities and the lack of things to do is just driving you insane with boredom. Will thought that he'd just spend another lazy day watching cartoons and playing video games and putting off getting a job some more. But when a mysterious girl with purple hair drops out of nowhere in front of his moving car, he's going to get a lot more than he bargained for when he learns that things previously thought to be fantasy may be more real than he ever imagined. And it's going to take a lot more than a trip to the psychiatrist's couch to bring any sense of normality back to his life.

A part of the PonyFall collab

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy thought they were going to help banish Discord for a third time with their friends and the two princesses. That was precisely what was happening until they both found themselves suddenly transported to a strange new world under a flashing pink sky.

A man named Doug "TheSlorg" Collins finds two young women who are naked, confused, and smell of fudge in the Australian Outback. He then reluctantly agrees to help them return home. But when "home" turns out to be Ponyville, things become a bit more complicated than he bargained for.

Part of the PonyFall collaboration series.
Visit the PonyFall TV Tropes Page
Temporary cover art by Speccysy