This story is a sequel to To Serve and Protect

Twilight Sparkle finds herself dealing with the aftermath of Tirek’s attack on Equestria. Among the problems before her is the broken artifact: Shadow’s Armor. Damaged in a battle with Tirek, Twilight is given the opportunity to help repair the ancestral armor, but when she suggests possibly making improvements she finds that not everypony agrees with the idea. For many ponies have very different ideas on what should be done with Shadow’s Armor, and it will be Twilight’s job to find a successful compromise between them.

Starlight decides that Fiducia Compelus can help her in learning a friendship lesson.

Rainbow decides that mind control spells aren't her thing.

Twilight decides that leaving Starlight alone may have been a bad idea.

Featured: 6/26/17

It's a simple thing, really. Celestia and Luna would normally do it, but the palace has been rather busy of late. So all Twilight has to do is go to Baltimare and officially launch three ships, because launching ships is one of the official duties of a Princess. What could be simpler?

After Twilight instinctively chooses the wrong definition of 'ship' and desperately asks a friend for help? Just about anything.

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Fifteen years in the future, Flurry Heart is now a grown teenager and Princess of the Crystal Empire. Over the years she's been taught by her parents and Aunts powerful magical spells and the lessons of growing up.

In the present year Twilight and the others are awoken by a loud sound resonating in the castle. Looking to see what it was they saw a young Alicorn mare who claims to be Twilight's niece from the future. Their morning just went from normal to weird.

Featured on 18 June 2017!
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Pinkie Pie has a thermonuclear weapon and she's not afraid to use it.
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Not related to any other stories I've written.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all related content is owned by Hasbro. CYA.

Diplomacy has failed. Six years have passed Equestria's crowning of the princess of friendship, ushering in a supposed unprecedented age of peace and harmony. The concept of warfare is, to most ponies, nothing more than an unfathomable legend. They have let their guard down.

An unknown enemy has seized the opportunity to attack Equestria with terrifying new weapons of war, bent on taking the fertile land and restoring an ancient order. The valiant efforts of the Royal Guard have given Princess Twilight and her arcane scientists time to research and develop a response to their attackers, and the time has come for that response to be implemented. Utilizing weapons and tactics borrowed from another world, five squads under the command of Princess Luna will infiltrate the forests of the Equestrian Northwest to destroy a revolutionary magical matrix that Twilight refers to as the "radio" - a tool that allows enemy ponies to communicate across vast distances instantly.

Nightmare Two is comprised of three foalhood friends who, rather than be separated from each other in the draft, volunteer to become one of the five Nightmare squads. With their bodies forever altered to suit the needs of their mission, the three young mares join legions of ponies armed with powerful weapons to partake in a horrifying new breed of warfare - Equestria's first in over one thousand years.

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Heads up, folks. If you wouldn't mind leaving a comment alongside the thumbs-down, I'd appreciate it. This is my first foray into fan fiction and although it's a hobby I nonetheless wish to get better. :)

Got some FAQ's for you guys as well!

- Alternate universe in which the events of "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" did not occur. (As much as I loved it! :D)

- Numerical age tends to vary with headcanon, but the CMC here were just getting started with their adult lives when the draft went into effect.

- The war is pony v. pony, utilizing firearms and the Equestrian equivalent of a tank. The underlying headcanon is that ponies used firearms similar to muskets and tracked armored vehicles akin to our tanks in times of old, and what the enemy currently employs is essentially the natural progression of these technologies.

- There are no real-world weapons or equipment i.e. "Panzer IV," or "M16 assault rifle." Particularly acute details such as the caliber of weapons are also absent.

- Technology is based on that of WWI with some WWII elements. Firearms are primarily bolt-action.

- The "radio" spell matrix functions as what we know to be a radio, but is not identical.

- All four of a Night Mare's legs are permanently replaced by the augments.

- Night Mares are female. Stallions proved unable to properly animate the limbs.

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Hold up, now - fanart? You guys rock. Like, for real. Thanks a lot!

1. A great YouTube video coming from The_Pegasus_Box. Thanks, bud!
Check it out!

2. Click here for the collection on DArt.

3. https://derpibooru.org/740375?scope=scpeac921b191f688d04521575f31608785cbc3bbaa1
[img]https://derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/10/10/740375__safe_anthro_apple+bloom_gun_artist-colon-pusspuss_night+mares.png[/img]

Sunset Shimmer is a young mare who strives for power and doesn't care about anyone but herself.
Twilight Sparkle is a little filly with more scars than she lets on.
Now both of them have to make do, stuck in a world where their greatest talents are little more than a pretty mark on their clothes.

Cover art commissioned from GPizano, who draws a pretty awesome Sunset Shimmer.

Top of the Feature Box on 15/06/17, and an incredible 91:0 upvotes. Thank you all for your help in making that possible.

Inspired by one of my favorite songs in my favorite show. Also inspired by others.

Edited and Proofread by atronosthelast and Griphongirl_Ellie
Art drawn by my editor, Ellie

It has been a few years since Twilight and her friends had given up the Elements of Harmony. They have been through so many adventures together with or without the Elements. Twilight knew even without the Elements, she and her friends would be able to come over whatever was thrown at them.
Or so she thought...

I have made a group to post stuff related to this story, but I'm still working on building it up. If you would like to go ahead and join, feel free.

As many of you know, music can make a big impact in people's lives, including mine, so I want to share with you my inspiration list. (not all of it is complete yet)

Chapter 1 - Helping with Flurry Heart: Friends In My Heart

Chapter 2 - The Sleepover: Best Friends Until The End Of Time

Chapter 3 - They're Back...:

Chapter 4 - The Plan:

Chapter 5 - Failure: Roxas Theme

Chapter 6 - Goodbye: (The song that inspired the story,) Cold

Chapter 7 - Not Again: Destiny

Chapter 8 - How Could He...?: Ventus's Theme

Chapter 9 - Nightmares:

Chapter 10 - Coma: All Our Days

Chapter 11 - Shock:

Chapter 12 - Not Giving Up Yet: Wings

Chapter 13 - Night Time Fears: You'll Be in My Heart Music Box Version

Chapter 14 - The Big Attack Part 1: All Things Must Die

Chapter 15 - The Big Attack Part 2:

Epilogue: Home

Art inspired for this story

Sunset Shimmer finally found her place in the human world with her friends. Butch what about her life in Equestria? Could she be happy even if she decides to stay in the human world? There is one thing she knows for sure - she needs to make amends with her friends and family. And that is what she does.

I saw the signs. I saw the proof. I should have acted, swallowed my pride, told Celestia it was all my fault. But I was scared. Scared for my title, my freedom. If I wasn't so selfish, Fluttershy would be here with us. But she's not. I stare at the blood sucking creature with her face, and yet not her face. What monster have I allowed to flourish? I feel guilt. I have cost countless ponies lives. Fluttershy included. I have no voice, but I must scream. No one knows I am responsible, but I keep hearing the same sentence over and over again.
Why did you keep hush, Twilight Sparkle?
And to be honest, I don't know.