Cover Image

The Mask of Despair and the Face of Hope

by Wings of Black Glass
Everyone is the hero of their own story. Maybe, just maybe, that isn't always true. Sometimes, they are the villain.

The crisis is over, the threat resolved, the day is saved. Or rather, there was never a crisis to begin with. Twilight Sparkle has saved the world, there is nothing left to do but tell the others what just happened. She has quite the tale, of memories only she has, of months that never happened, of the despair that nearly ended Equestria, and the hope that saved it.

In Equestria, Destiny is a very real thing. Every pony has one, emblazoned with a magic mark for all to see. It is a simple given fact that every pony finds their place in time, their own special destiny. Or is that law so immutable after all? Is being special always a good thing? In a society where destiny is real, what happens to the individual without one?

At the heart of Twilight’s story is a single pony with a unique mark. The choices he made to try and fit in have left him alone and miserable, and willing to go to insane lengths to find his place. When a chance meeting with Twilight Sparkle gives him a chance he never thought he would have, his decisions come to have consequences far beyond what he could have imagined.

Maybe, just maybe, in the story of our lives we are not always the hero. Sometimes, we are the villain.

Author note: I initially wrote this in third person point-of-view and then later adjusted it to be first person, but even after numerous readings I'm still finding spots where I missed a fix. If anyone spots any more, message me with the chapter and line, and I'll fix it.

Teen
Complete
Adventure
Drama
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
 
TMO

112792 words: Estimated about 9 hours to read
Download:textHTMLePUB

55 Chapters:

  1. We Begin at the End. 2018-05-31 07:18:09 UTC
    1793
  2. Unforeseen Encounter 2018-05-31 07:20:23 UTC
    1229
  3. Breaking and Entering and Breaking 2018-05-31 07:19:29 UTC
    1944
  4. Let's Try Again 2018-05-31 07:19:33 UTC
    3153
  5. An Evening with Twilight 2018-05-31 07:20:35 UTC
    1465
  6. This Won't End Well 2018-05-31 07:19:41 UTC
    2753
  7. Party Time 2018-05-31 07:19:44 UTC
    1840
  8. Moral and Physical Support 2018-05-31 07:19:47 UTC
    755
  9. Apologies Can Only do so Much 2018-05-31 07:19:51 UTC
    3725
  10. Let the Past Burn 2018-05-31 07:19:54 UTC
    2245
  11. Everything's on the Table 2018-05-31 07:20:56 UTC
    1543
  12. Reintroduction 2018-05-31 07:20:59 UTC
    2591
  13. A Broken house 2018-05-31 07:20:03 UTC
    1241
  14. Starting to Recover 2018-05-31 07:20:07 UTC
    1513
  15. Fabric and Glass 2018-05-31 07:21:08 UTC
    2063
  16. In the Wind 2018-05-31 07:20:13 UTC
    1557
  17. A Second Evening With Twilight 2018-05-31 07:21:15 UTC
    1594
  18. Insistent Messengers 2018-05-31 07:20:20 UTC
    1021
  19. The Will to Thrive 2018-05-31 07:21:21 UTC
    1817
  20. Adventure Calls 2018-05-31 07:20:26 UTC
    1066
  21. A Chilling Arrival 2018-05-31 07:21:27 UTC
    1543
  22. Suspicious Sunburst 2018-05-31 07:21:30 UTC
    1594
  23. Heart of an Empire 2018-05-31 07:21:33 UTC
    1615
  24. Solving the Crisis 2018-05-31 07:21:36 UTC
    2073
  25. Joyful Consequences 2018-05-31 07:20:41 UTC
    1786
  26. The Ride Home 2018-05-31 07:21:42 UTC
    1212
  27. A Time Without Threat 2018-05-31 07:20:48 UTC
    2522
  28. Zecora and the Amulet 2018-05-31 07:20:51 UTC
    1522
  29. Theft and Battle 2018-05-31 07:21:53 UTC
    1850
  30. Starting the Pursuit 2018-05-31 07:21:56 UTC
    1045
  31. Southward Bound 2018-05-31 07:21:58 UTC
    1074
  32. The Throne of the Changelings 2018-05-31 07:21:03 UTC
    1516
  33. Midnight Eavesdropping 2018-05-31 07:21:06 UTC
    1135
  34. Back to the Chase 2018-05-31 07:22:07 UTC
    853
  35. Pinewood Village 2018-05-31 07:21:12 UTC
    2019
  36. Breakdown 2018-05-31 07:21:16 UTC
    2370
  37. The Conflict at the Lake 2018-05-31 07:22:18 UTC
    2821
  38. Sable and Despair 2018-05-31 07:22:21 UTC
    1389
  39. False Memory 2018-05-31 07:21:26 UTC
    3432
  40. The Curse of Despair 2018-05-31 07:22:28 UTC
    1289
  41. Farewell, Sable Stardust 2018-05-31 07:21:32 UTC
    1720
  42. Welcome Back, Sable Stardust 2018-05-31 07:22:34 UTC
    3363
  43. Unresolved Threads: C.M.C. 2018-05-31 07:21:40 UTC
    3274
  44. Unresolved Threads: Zecora 2018-05-31 07:21:43 UTC
    1531
  45. The Princesses' Warning 2018-05-31 07:21:46 UTC
    3780
  46. One Last Evening With Twilight 2018-05-31 07:22:48 UTC
    1939
  47. The Scourge 2018-05-31 07:22:51 UTC
    3243
  48. Rainbow Road 2018-05-31 07:22:55 UTC
    2921
  49. Facing Despair 2018-05-31 07:22:01 UTC
    3792
  50. The Only Moment 2018-05-31 07:22:04 UTC
    1773
  51. The Monster of Ash and Sorrow 2018-05-31 07:23:06 UTC
    1513
  52. The Prince of Hope 2018-05-31 07:22:11 UTC
    2319
  53. The Silent World 2018-05-31 07:22:15 UTC
    4180
  54. We End at the Beginning 2018-05-31 07:22:18 UTC
    3168
  55. The Fate of a Single Pony 2018-05-31 07:22:22 UTC
    2708