Note: This story was conceived of long before the second EQG movie was created, so it's a bit outdated compared to later information that emerged. It just took me a long time to finally write it.

It should have been a simple affair. Wait for the portal to open again. Apologize for the past to Celestia. Move on as friends. Sunset Shimmer has been waiting for the opportunity to make amends for her past misdeeds, having learned of the magic of friendship from her new friends. She wants to deal with her regrets and right her wrongs.

She never expected that things could go so horribly wrong in two days. It should have been simple, but a discovery of a familiar dark artifact renders things more complicated than she could have ever foreseen. All she wanted was the power to protect her friends from their enemies, but now she is the enemy. Can Twilight Sparkle and her friends save Sunset Shimmer from herself a second time?

After the Friendship Games, life at CHS has settled down. No more magical villains to face, or impending disasters. Sunset and the others can go back to living as normal teenage girls. Or as close to normal as a group of magically empowered girls and a former unicorn from another universe can anyway.

But when Sunset gets into trouble, someone she never expected comes to help her, and her life will never be the same ever again.

Disclaimer: I don't own My Little Pony Friendship is Magic or any of it's characters. I'm just a fan.

Cover art done by my very good friend PrettySoldierPetite. (EDIT 07/08/19: And now with new cover art!)

Proofread by Dragon of Shadows

Pre-read (post ch 12's publishing) by Setokaiva

FEATURE BOX 11/28/17!

EDIT: Added the MLP: FIM tag because of recent events, and I really should have put it in before this anyway.

EDIT 04/14/19: While the content of this story does not qualify for the "Dark" tag, I have been advised to give a warning that chapter 6 contains a scenario that may trigger some individuals. Tags: psychological abuse & gaslighting.

EDIT 10/16/19: Now with a TV Tropes page!

Side Story
Swimming Lessons

After the Friendship Games, Sunset feels it's time to return home.

Only when she gets there, Twilight's castle is nowhere to be found, Cadance just got her horn, and Princess Celestia is still calling the bacon-haired pony her prized student rather than a failed one. And just reliving her past isn't on the table thanks to a pair of wings Sunset seems to have sprouted upon her return to Equestria.

With Sunset being back before she's supposed to, will the world stay as harmonious and on track, or will everything go down in flames as Sunset has to deal with allegations that she's really a changeling in disguise, a nerdy stallion with blue hair that wants to be her coltfriend, a pretty pink princess in need of remedial magic lessons, and an annoying purple pre-teen pony that will absolutely not go to bed without first being read Starswirl's Complete Mystical Mysteries Compendium?

Only time will tell

Sunset Shimmer, has finally decided to return to Equestria to right all the wrongs that she has done on both sides of the crystal mirror. She is even ready to face whatever punishment Celestia sees fit, no matter how great it is.

Imagine her surprise when she is forgiven AND given another chance to be Celestia's student again.

As she makes amends and hoofs out apologies, she will also make some friends with both old and new faces, including Celestia's adopted son, Lockon Astros.

And little does she realize that, fate has plans for her once again. But this time, she will earn more than just the redemption that she seeks.

(Credit for the cover art goes to SunsetMajka626 who has both a DeviantArt and a Derpibooru account.)

It’s the Christmas season, and all are at home with their families...except one. Labeling her as a scapegoat during the Anon-a-miss incident, a number of students have abducted Sunset, intending to make her pay for all the secrets she spilled....Again.
There's just one problem....She didn't.

You guys know Dainn's "Anon-A-miss" Story. But if you don't, leave now, and go read his story. This story is a direct branchoff from his, continuing immediately after chapter 5 of his story. You NEED to read his story up until chapter 5, to understand what's going on in this one.
This will be a darker telling of what goes on after chapter 5 of his story.
The original story belongs to Dainn! Be a stalker and follow him, his story is really good!

The holidays are fast approaching for the city of Canterlot. Snow is on the ground, carols fill the air, and the students of Canterlot High await release for winter vacation. However, its never peaceful in Canterlot for long. Right when things are looking calm, secrets start spilling around the school. With more being revealed each day, all eyes turn to Sunset Shimmer, the former bully of CHS. With the school turning against her and no clues to follow, can she possibly figure out the culprit and clear her name?

Of course she can. You know this story. At least, I assume you do. You're probably here because you want to see an alternate take on the event after all. A timeline can be altered drastically with nothing more than a single decision, just one choice, at the right place and time. So the proper question is: Can Sunset make it to her happy ending...and will the choice even be hers to start with?

TvTropes Page: Here

Co-writer: SunnyDays

So I'd like to give two quick shout-outs.
First one goes to Dainn for his wonderful tale, 'Anon-a-Miss'. It was the base inspiration for this little drabble of mine.
Second one to cerealkiller78 for her branching story, 'Silent Night', for more or less creating a sub-genre of a sub-genre and for the Dark tag on this story.

Featured: 3/21/17, 3/26/17, 4/23/17, 5/13/17, 6/2/17, 7/11/17, 8/6/17, 9/16/17, 12/2/17, 12/20/17, 2/25/18, 6/3/18

This story is a sequel to A Hairier Problem: Rise of the Furball

Now with a reading series by martialartfruituser!

A Tale of the Berylverse. Joint project with BlueBastard and Flynt Coal.

Weeks after her defeat at the hands of the humanized Princess Twilight Sparkle, the one-time pony Sunset Shimmer is working towards making herself a better life. But in an unexpected chain of events, she ends up in a situation that not even her new friends - Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie - can get her out of...nor really do they want to. As if that's not enough, Principal Celestia's firmly against the whole deal.

But maybe if Sunset Shimmer sticks around, she'll get more than she bargained for - for good and ill....

Now blessed with its own TVTropes page!

While this does take place in BlueBastard's Berylverse, prior knowledge of his earlier stories (A Hairy Problem and Rise of the Furball) won't be necessary for Book I of this story. But it's highly recommended for Book II (and they're worth reading to begin with!)

Twilight Sparkle is accepted into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and gets a little more than what she bargained for.

Illustrated by me.

(If you object to swearing, please skip chapter 6. That's the one chapter that bumps this story straight up to a Teen rating.)

For almost a thousand years, the immortal Nightmare Moon has reigned over Equestria as Empress. To the average pony, Nightmare Moon is an overarching enigma whose rule is absolute and whose wrath is terrible. But to Twilight Sparkle, who as an orphan has never known her parents, the Empress is something else entirely. When the young unicorn is brought under the royal wing as an apprentice, she learns a great deal more about the supposed tyrant than she ever knew. But as Twilight is introduced to life with her new mentor, she is thrust into a world of political intrigue, conspiracies and secrets. Secrets that were never meant to be revealed. As allies and enemies plot against the very peace of the nation, will Twilight fall prey to the perils of her new position? Or will she prosper and find in Nightmare Moon the mother she never had?

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My eternal gratitude to my editor, LordOfTheWrongs, without whom Night's Favoured Child would not be the story it is today.

Now with added TVtropes!

This absolutely demands a cute category.

Celestia finds a very young Twilight outside her room. Not knowing who brought her here, the Princess cares for her until a new family can be found. However, the Princess is oblivious to twilight's past, and the truth may have scarred Twilight for life...

This story was a suggestion by Celestia's Paladin

Artwork is by Dream Whisper, who also pre-reads occasionally.

Thanks you guys sooooo much!