Destiny is a fickle thing.

Cloud Kicker had her life figured out. A cushy desk job in the weather service in a few years' time. Great friends. Good times. Loose mares. A mild amount of family and relationship drama along the way, maybe, if she was unlucky.

She'd never have guessed that her life would take a meteoric rise toward eternity after making a cute, purple librarian cry.

(Written entirely for laughs for AU Month in the Winningverse. I couldn't resist.)
(For those that reflexively downvote Winning stuff, comment instead! It's more fun to bicker. Ask Pinkie.)

Sequel: The Past of a Shy Mare

Rainbow Dash has never been seen around her parents. Nopony knows what they even look like. She's been raising herself since she was a little filly after what happened. She's alone in Ponyville. Her friends have moved on to much bigger things. They write to her and keep in touch, but they never visit. Their schedules are full of other things that need to be done. She tells her parents story now because of the dark secret she has kept since her friends leaving.
This is my first Slice of Life and Sad fic, so I don't know how it will turn out. The idea came from a picture I saw with RD and Fluttershy. I hope you like it!
Also, check the date of this story. I started writing it before we saw her dad in episode 12 of season 3.

Thunder Strike is a stallion working on the outskirts of Ponyville as a book repairist, when he finally succeeds in his lifelong idea: An artificial Alicorn. Listening to his conscience, he sends a letter to the Princess, Twilight, for a demonstration.
The catch is, he doesn't know if the Princess will like his new spell... nor does he know what will happen next...
(OC created with http://generalzoi.deviantart.com/art/Pony-Creator-v3-397808116)

Feeling restless at the dragon temple, the purple dragon of legend decides to take a leisurely flight one night. That all changes when a freak storm sends Spyro tumbling through a vortex and finds himself in a rather colorful new world.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash have been close friends for a long time and, for some reason Rainbow Dash has never been able to understand, it seems as if everyone she knows expects them to get together eventually. To Rainbow Dash's surprise, Applejack abruptly decides that their friends are right and asks her out on a date. To Applejack's surprise, Rainbow Dash immediately turns her down.

Unfortunately for Rainbow Dash, Applejack is nothing if not stubborn, and she declares that she won't give up until Rainbow Dash has agreed to go on a date with her, no matter what it takes.

Winner of the second AppleDash group contest.