Twilight Sparkle was banished from Equestria a long time ago for a crime she didn't commit. The rest of the Mane 6 have been searching for her to tell her that she can return. When they do find Twilight, they realize that the trials of surviving outside Equestria have changed their old friend. Not all the changes are necessarily good.

As they return to Equestria, they must figure out who is opposing them. Shadows lurk in every corner, enemies watching for a single misstep. Not to mention, Twilight's shadows are creeping up on her. But even if they do manage to face the trials and troubles, do they have what it takes to face what awaits them back home?

If you want to chat to me, we have a discord server here!

Editing team: Stinium_Ruide
People who've helped me before:
Ex-coauthor: computerneek
Ex-editor: Holtinater

When Nightmare Moon’s rebellion tore across Equestria, leaving a trail of blood and horror in its wake, Princess Celestia knew that merely banishing her sister wouldn’t be enough. Her army was too powerful, and too bloodthirsty, to be left behind without a leader. When she finally turned the Elements of Harmony against her, she didn’t just banish Nightmare Moon. She banished thousands.

Now they’re in a race against time, to find a way to survive in an environment so alien that every aspect of it is trying to kill them. They face suffocation, freezing, boiling, starvation, radiation, meteorite impacts, low gravity… the list goes on.

Nightmare Moon thought she should be the ruler of all Equestria. Now, in a world nopony was ever meant to survive, her abilities will be put to the ultimate test.

This story now has a hardcover! If you'd like one of your own, you can grab it here: https://starscribe.net/

Editing by the indulgent and patient Two Bit and Sparktail. Coverart by Zutcha.

Note: I intend this story to be as faithful to our current scientific understanding of the moon, and I’ve consulted for help with the aspects outside my technical purview. That said, I fully expect to make decisions that some may see as mistakes, based on their own independent interpretations.

I am a storyteller first, and I realize it’s likely I’ll eventually make a mistake, or an arbitrary decision to simplify the storytelling over accuracy. I’m doing my best here, but this isn’t a NASA white paper. Set your expectations accordingly.

This story was commissioned by Canary in the Coal Mine on my Patreon, feel free to contact me if you’d like one of your own!

Unable to convince her former friends she isn't Anon-a-Miss, and out of contact with Princess Twilight, Sunset gives up on everything and tries to end it all. Instead a new chapter in her life begins when she's helped by total strangers, two of whom have familiar names and faces.

As she recovers from surviving her suicide attempt, she rebuilds her life in a new home and at a new school, though lingering forces from her past refuse to allow her a fresh start.

[Do note that the self-harm isn't shown directly, and is limited to the prologue. The story is about recovering.]

Meta notes, abridged version:

Moon-Lite gave me permission to do my own version of Fall of Harmony / Like the Phoenix / Flaming Sun. This is that story.

I asked for permission to do a version because Moon-Lite is not going to do a straight-remake and the old versions are gone, thus leaving no version whatsoever on Fimfiction. I want there to be at least one version on Fimfiction.

Moon-Lite's own new story, which he described as the straight-remake being reworked --kinda-- in a very abstract way, is Phoenix.

For the longer version of the meta stuff I'll make a blog post at some point and put a link to it here when I do.

"Twilight Sparkle, you are hereby sentenced to exile!" From those words her entire world changed. Is her happy life gone forever? Or can it only get worse? What will befall the dethroned princess and will she have to bare her fate alone?

My entry for This contest

And I officially have an editor! Much thanks to pinkiepie17 and Twilight Scratch

This story is a sequel to What Have You Done?

Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen, has taken her prize, unhindered by Equestria's precious heroes. Celestia is little more than another prisoner of war now. The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony are lost, and the Elements themselves have turned away from Equestria's plight. As the world they once knew begins to crumble, a single question is asked among the people as they look up at their fallen heroes.

There is no such thing as "miserably ever after," for someone will always be fighting for things to change. Hope doesn't die just because someone's turned off the lights. Truth doesn't vanish when deceit begins its reign, and Harmony can only shine brighter among chaos.
Even as this world falls, we'll work to build it up again.
Even as you lose yourself, you can find greater things within you.
Even as fear rises up like a tidal wave, we'll forge a sanctuary to stand against it.
Even as you break, someone will always be standing there next to you to carry you through it.

Cover art is by Odin-odin.
Story theme (Equestria in Grey) is by Omnipony.
Main Characters are Twilight, Velvet, Discord, Nightlight, Luna, and Chrysalis, in that order.
See you in the comments, my dear readers.

Twilight has always felt just a little uneasy about how others treat her, but after a tragedy befalls the Sparkle household, she reveals her greatest truth at the funeral.

Can her friends, family, and teacher comfort her this time?

No. 

...but when emotions are high and mistrust and confusion are rampant, is everything what it first appears?