As fate would have it, Twilight had to hatch a much bigger egg this time.

Twilight faces the thought of immortality with her usual aplomb: falling down into a ball of misery and confusion about her role, and what she will do in the eventual absence of her friends and family.

That is, until a much older Twilight Sparkle takes the time to talk to her.

After several years ruling alongside Celestia and Luna, Princess Twilight Sparkle still yearns for a more complete understanding of duty and power. She observes Rainbow Dash in her proudest moment and regains her focus.

Warning: this was inspired by Yukio Mishima.

One hundred years. Twilight Sparkle is having a tough time stomaching that reality. She has lived a full hundred years in Equestria, and being an immortal princess promises only more centuries to follow. She's not sure if she's ready for the rest of her life.

But Twilight's lifelong friend and mentor has a special gift for her, something that will change her perspective about the future.

Lovely cover art is from Momomistress

This story is a sequel to A Foreign Education

Twilight was sixteen when she became an alicorn. She hasn't aged a day since. Some ponies ask her what it's like, not being able to grow up.

Twilight can't really say. She's never known anything else.

Starlight Glimmer was once the head of a cult. She used her magic to control minds, enslave ponies, and nearly destroyed all of Equestria. Such acts are unforgivable, but somehow she was forgiven by Princess Twilight, and has become her student. It is certainly more than she deserves.

While Starlight admires the grace with which Twilight forgave her, and frankly, the grace that the Princess displays in all areas of life, she has to wonder: What's her secret?

This story was featured on Equestria Daily in a round-up for Starlight Glimmer Day 2021.

Blurb

What exactly did Pinkie Pie do during the time she held Discord's power? An Equestrian intelligence officer leaves a message to her successor on what little they know so far. Warning: Superintelligences and existentialism

Author's Note

Inspired by The 21-Second God, though I ended up taking it in a different direction than good ol' Squiddy.

Charlie Stross Was Right.

Vaguely planning more stuff about the Equestrian intelligence services, recontextualizing all the episodes of the series one by one to various degrees. If I end up doing that, this story will end up being one of the capstones. It'll also be a long while before I start it, if I ever do.

Also left two (2) lines from literature in there. It's possible I left even more than that inadvertently, considering I tend to repeat cool things I hear. But if you catch them let me know!

After Twilight and her friends rediscover Starswirl’s last spell in the ruins of Golden Oaks Library Rainbow Dash asks, ‘why can’t we all become alicorns?’ Now Ponyville is host to five brand new alicorns and the girls have everything they could ever want; magic, flight, power, influence and all of Equestria wide-open before them... but being a Princess is far more than just having wings and a horn.

With thanks to Luna-tic Scientist, Lord of Dorkness, docontra, and JCatt for their help pre-reading. Cover image by Pixel-Prism.

When the deposed king of the Diamond Dogs is brought before the court of Celestia, the story he tells is far too much to believe. For if it is true, the Equestrians' conquest of his nation has been a terrible mistake.

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Audiobook by Illya Leonov.
Proofread by GaryOak.
Reviews:
PresentPerfect
The Goodfic Bin

Gus, an engineering student, suffers a life-changing accident. While trying to recover, he finds himself waking up, being prodded by some sort of black and white animal. The next thing he knows, he's in a hospital with more animals around him and one human... and Ponyville is about to find out just what a scientific education means back where Lero's from.

At least Twilight will be thrilled.