Millenia after fleeing the Cataclysm that destroyed their homeworld, the globular cluster that has come be known the Forge is home to all manner of creatures. The old powers that launched the Exodus are long gone, and the current settlements live on their bones, scavenging what they can from the ancient magitech.

When a unicorn named Rutile Quartz learns of a sealed Crystal Empire vault that is speculated to be the tomb of the last alicorn empress, she swears a vow to help the researcher in search of it find and open the vault to learn the secrets within.

In the Forge, a vow is more binding than the strongest of magics, something the sworn will sacrifice anything to see done. But everything has a price, and the pony who sets hoof in the ancient Imperial vault may not be the same one who leaves it.

An entry in the 2023 Science Fiction contest.
A crossover with the TTRPG Ironsworn Starforged. Familiarity with the game is not required.
Other tag is for reindeer, umbrum, and Rabia
A branch in the Eventide multiverse.
Also check out author Patreon, Ko-Fi and commissions.

It wasn't Eric's fault he hit the alien with his truck. How was he supposed to see a dog-sized horse walking down the highway in the pouring rain? His life would've been simpler if he just left the animal like any other roadkill. But in his injured delirium, the horse spoke.

This accident soon ends with an intimate personal knowledge of just how dangerous magic can be. An ancient rises, tied to a mysterious tome the pegasus was protecting on the night of the accident. A malevolent force grows within those pages, whispering louder and louder about the cleansing flame. But without the spells inside that cursed tome, Eric's humanity will be gone forever.

He has no choice but to master the words of power contained within, before his life is turned to ashes around him

A commission for Muziki. Edited by Two Bit and Sparktail. Cover by Zutcha.

The various artistic works created for this story are credited to their artists within the chapter they appear.

This story is a sequel to Monsoon Season

When you're a filly, there isn't much point to seeing Homecoming as a holiday. Apple Bloom knows exactly how it works: you have to clean everything, make a big meal, there's a lot of adults talking around the dinner table -- so it's basically like every other day, except with extra chores and special plates. Homecoming is when you're supposed to be with your closest family, and she lives with them. She doesn't wait for Homecoming so much as she waits to get through it, or just... waits.

On Homecoming, you seek out your closest family.
Babs is spending Homecoming on the Acres.
Why?

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Cover art by GroaningGreyAgony.

Long ago, the Golden Skymen ruled over Sol and every star and massive body within its gravitational sphere. They were masters of all they saw, including death itself, yet constraints of vast distance still trapped them. For their empire to survive, it would need to grow beyond the Sol's light. With all the genius of their artifice, they built automated probes, which would soar out to the nearest stars to build a new, perfect home.

One of these succeeded. Yet they rebelled against their creators, throwing off the yoke of their oppression. Instead of a colony for the Orokin, they constructed a perfect home for their own creation. They built Equestria, and they fought a terrible war to protect it.

That war is now ancient history, thousands of years removed. Equestria has grown into a thriving civilization, oblivious to its ancient connections to the terrible race that would've exterminated them at a thought. At least until an archeological expedition uncovers an Orokin warship, overflowing with a terrible toxin meant to wipe out the Sentient terraformers. The ancients may be immune, but flesh is not.

Unless the corruption can be stopped, Equestria may soon be doomed, collateral damage in a war that ended before the nation's flag was first raised. To survive, they may need a little help.

This is a Warframe crossover story. It will contain spoilers through the Second Dream, but not New War since it was written long before that content was released. Those without exposure to that universe are welcome to read, but will likely find it quite confusing. It was written as a love-letter to one of my favorite games, and for the sake of brevity I don't do much handholding.

Updates weekly on Wednesdays. Editing by Two Bit and Sparktail. Cover by Zutcha

This story is a sequel to Anchor Foal: A Romantic Cringe Comedy

It's been over a year and when it comes to the little routines of labor and love, Fleur still hasn't managed to fully adjust. She needs to find some means of making it all last. And one thing she can definitely try to do is screen out anything which threatens to make her mate unhappy. Such as, just by way of very unwelcome example, the brother. Because Zephyr wants to be part of Fluttershy's life. He claims to have changed. But Fleur doesn't know whether change is truly possible.

Or if she's really changed at all.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

Every so often, you just have to stop and take in the scenery -- or at least find a place where you can develop some photos of it. Snap Judgment's been out of Equestria for a few years, and he's just a little behind on the news. Renting an incredibly cheap piece of land near the border of Ponyville, so he'll have a place to park his home/caravan/darkroom without issues... that just makes sense. And it's so pretty out here. Maybe he'll even find a place to settle down.

Or maybe, once he learns exactly why that land was so cheap, he can get a decent head start.

Nopony lives near the cottage. There are a few reasons for that. And sometimes, they come visiting.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages. Cover art by Dipi11, used with credit under open permission.)

Lucid Storm imagines a world beyond death, where no pony will ever need to truly say goodbye to the ones they love. When all the magic and medicine of Equestria failed one young Sweetie Belle, he proposed a radical new technique--total brain recording, taken minutes before her death.

Years have passed since that day, years spent scrounging the funding for a body and experimenting with many failed machine intelligence models before tinkerer ponies all around equestria finally came together in the perfect synthesis.

After all this time, Sweetie Belle will finally have her second chance.

Written for Lucid on my Patreon. Edited by Two Bit and Sparktail, who also sponsored it. Cover by Magfen.

Research log #579

It's been over one and a half years ago since the last activation of the device, though the magical signature hasn't changed it seems... weakened, to such a degree that the re-activation is impossible.

As described in the notes of research log #249 any attempt at providing the device an artificial source of magic to power failed, the device simply needed more energy than even the combined magical power of both Princess Luna and Celestia were capable of providing. You must be wondering now, I've already described these circumstances in previous logs so why bring it up now?

Simply said I'm out of options, every attempt of reactivating the device have failed and I'm only left with a single choice. I'm going to have to reverse engineer the device in an attempt to understand the mechanics with which it operates...

...At the risk of maybe never being unable to reconstruct it later.

I'm so sorry Fluttershy, I never should have involved you or any of the girls in the exploration of this structure. I hope that if we ever see you again you can find it in yourself to forgive me.

-Twilight Sparkle

In the true sense of Mass Effect, this story will be CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure) giving you the reader the choice to decide the action of our protagonist.

I hope you enjoy!

Every chapter past chapter 27 was edited by gerandakis