Which is better: to be enlightened and miserable or oblivious and content? At what cost can paradise be bought, and at what point does it cease to be worth it?
Two years after Luna’s return from exile, these are the questions that pass through the mind of Princess Celestia each night as she waits. For over a millennia she has waited; waited for the end of war, waited for the return of her sister, and waited for a single dreadful day and the choice that she would have to make.
But she is not the only one who is waiting, nor is she the only one who seeks an end to the coming conflict. Luna and Fluttershy find themselves haunted by the same secret sin, and though they may not be aware of their connection, they must both choose between seeking forgiveness and doing what they know to be right.
Caught up in a labyrinth of breathing shadows and ancient lies, all three ponies must learn how valuable their loved ones truly are, as well as the ultimate cost of living in Harmony.
Disclaimer: I do not know the artist who drew the picture that I chose, but the image suits one of the central themes of the story. Proofread and edited by the wonderful people who are as follows:
The Journeyman
AlicornPriest
Glassed
Inkiepie
iSmartMan
Remember this story from E-daily.
Nice to see its up here.
Wow. This was awesome!!!
Tracking 
Wow, it's been a while since a story has caught me this quickly.
There's something about your style of writing that just makes me want to read more. It's a combination of your details and general storytelling.
You leave the reader with wanting more (which I might add, is the single most important thing for a writer to do) and somehow you manage to make the new dragon interesting, even though he's just been introduced 2 minutes ago. I'm very interested to see where this goes and what role the dragon will go in.
I wonder what's wrong with Fluttershy?
Guess I'll find out! Onto the next chapter!
-Glassed
So something has happened
I'm intrigued
-Glassed
Uuuuuhhh
This got interesting! But why do I feel like there's more to it? He seemed very surprised when he heard the names of the princesses
Can't wait for more of this
-Glassed
Thanks much!
Chapter for should be up in a day or two. It's technically complete, but I'm still working out some the kinks.
324654
Yeah Edaily was the first place I posted this, but as this was the first bit of serious fictional writing I've ever really done, (or maybe just because I'm an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist) I ended up not being happy with the quality of a lot of my work. I decided that, this being a community dedicated purely to the reading and writing of quality fiction, it would be a good place to repost the chapters after tidying them up a bit. I haven't abandoned the Edaily page, but I'm probably not gonna update it until I've had a chance to go over everything I've written so far and see if I can't bring it up to snuff.
Thanks!
333239
I don't know how I rank with some of the more seasoned authors around here, but it's always nice to hear that somepony appreciates my work!
Glad you like it
407515
Don't worry about how you compare with other authors, just enjoy the fact that people are enjoying your writings 
That's the thing to do, my good sir! 
Psh, no problem! I feel the same exact way whenever anyone comments/tracks my stuff
390061
I must have tinkered with the Flutter-Acheron Conversation dozens of times. Subtlety is not my forte, but I wanted to give the reader approximately the same level of trust in Acheron as Fluttershy would be feeling towards him. In other words, Acheron is a pleasant and cultured individual, but he does not feel comfortable sharing everything he knows with Fluttershy, just as Fluttershy would be likely to want to hide some things from him. When I first wrote the chapter, I felt like I was beating the reader over the head with this idea, but hopefully I've managed it a bit more gracefully this time around.
Philosophical?
I'm liking this 
And let's see who "He" is... I have assumptions, but I'm awaiting the revelation.
-Glassed
468911
I was a little leery about that, yeah; I wasn't sure how the existentialism in this chapter would fly over, but I'm glad to hear it's appreciated!
Awesome to see this story again. I lost it a little while back. I got a bit smothered in other stories. Now that it's here though, I look forward to refreshing my memory and catching up on what I've missed
503753
Thanks! All of these chapters have been rewritten to improve quality, and some of it is even brand new, so hopefully, it'll still be fresh.
i love this story more and more
'colonel stick-in-the-mud'?! Seriously?! This guy is just doing his job (pretty good I might add), even despite all the shit he has to put up with from the mares.
He tries to stay calm, but people can only take so much. Seriously, give this guy a raise for crying out loud! He's doing his duty perfectly in this situation!
I know they're tired and worried, but the girls are being bitches!
scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw5143-rarity-bitch.png
You! I AM CALLING YOU A BITCH!
...
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw5184-tumblr_m4zb9fQEss1r5mwwuo1_400.png
...
*pant**pant**pant*
Now that the rage is out of my system, good chapter!
scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw5131-rbd-csb.png
-Glassed
757466
Hmm...
Perhaps you've got something there.
This may be a bit of a leftover from the original chapter. When I first wrote this, it was actually the first part of chapter 5, and Rarity was not even present. In that scene, Bastion was a bit more of a "stick-in-the-mud" and I characterized him more or less like a humorless jerk, but with the addition of Rarity's dramatics, it seems that the boot has shifted to the other hoof. I tried to balance her bluster with his frustration, but it seems that the writing may have been a bit skewed.
I may try to go back and rework this a bit more (I always find something I don't like whenever I re-read my work) to incorporate some more...amicable behavior on the part of Twilight and Applejack at least. I actually kind of prefer writing for the less jerky Bastion, now that I think on it, so softening the girls' dialogue is tempting.
This may be just my opinion, but I think that Twilight would have been upset with him initially after reading the letter, if only briefly. Actually, I was more concerned at that part that Bastion would be overreacting
Still, I appreciate your candor and will take it into mind. Thank you.
EDIT: Actually, now that I am re-reading this, I may have discovered a massive potential derp that I somehow overlooked.
For those of you who are wondering, the reason that everypony's luggage is still being searched even after the object was found is that the guards wish to confirm that the item in question is the real one and has not simply been duplicated. I forgot to specify this as I was writing, so hopefully this eliminates any confusion as to why the guards were still looking for something that they already found. I will address this oversight anon.
...oopsie
768047 I will admit that, that comment was written partially in rage
-Glassed
768077
Hmmm...yes, in retrospect the girls (especially Twi) do seem a bit...severe. I'll try to fix this when I have the time.
I like it Viktor. Clear, concise, and to the point while leaving enough open to play with.
Whew, that was a close one Viktor.
And I's liking this. Have a mustache.
972277
Why, thank you! I'll put it on the shelf with the rest of my collection. If you happen to find anyone with a handlebar they could spare, I spilled some wine on my old one. Thanks
Hmm... no dislikes? Not possibru! Now! I shall enact my plan of pure evil! Sometime in the future someone will dislike it! And they shall feast upon your unhappiness!
i1.cpcache.com/product_zoom/570108940/i_will_eat_your_unhappiness_tshirt.jpg?height=250&width=250&padToSquare=true
3088795
You have no idea how badly I want to dislike the story... nooooooo idea....
But no. I will dislike for the sake of disliking. I am not a youtuber.