Tartarus. A burning plane of existence made to punish the damned and evil. And ruling over this pit of hellfire is Hades, Lord of the Dead and God of the Underworld. And while torturing souls and abusing his two minions Pain and Panic are always good fun, he's grown bored. With his plans to rule Olympus and destroy Hercules down the tube, he needs a new aspiration in his un-life. And since he needs to buy some groceries, Ponyville seems like the perfect place to go shopping. And maybe make an ally or two for his newest plan to take over Olympus. If he doesn't burn them all to a crisp and steal their souls first.

Spike has always considered Ponyville his home, and has always held Rarity a special place in his heart. That is, until a group of dragons showed up after years of looking for him. After meeting his real family and hearing why he was brought into the ponies' care, he starts to rethink his old thoughts.

Now he only has a week to make a decision: either stay with the ponies who loved and cared for him most of his life, or go with the dragons and finally be with his real family. The decision would have been all so clear...

...if there wasn't another factor in the equation.

Much love to those who oversaw the story:

Pre-Readers: Skeeter the Lurker & Mr101
Editors: The Abyss & Man_Demon

Celestia wants Twilight and her friends to loosen up a little bit around her. Luna just wants to try the hard cider. During a surprise visit to Sweet Apple Acres at the tail end of cider season, Princess Luna has just a bit too much to drink, and when she makes a rather inappropriate joke, Twilight comes to the very uncomfortable realization that she has never seen Celestia excuse herself to use the restroom.

Equestria is barely three years old, and already danger threatens the fragile peace forged between the pony tribes. Monsters stream out of the Forest Ever Free on a daily basis, and now a prophetic dream foretells of even greater chaos that will befall the land.

It's up to Star Swirl the Bearded and his team of manly, heroic, eminently bearded (and strangely familiar!) stallions to brave the dark and murky Forest Ever Free in search of their one hope for salvation. Along the way, they'll learn more about the history of the land they've claimed as their own, not to mention each other. But as their unintended friendships grow, the forest will try its best to drive them apart.

Can they withstand the epic trials before them? Can they save Equestria? Will Star Swirl be known forevermore as the creator of Equestria's first beard-restoring spell? Journey a thousand years into the past and discover Equestria's epicest, beardiest history lesson ever!

Story tagged Dark for increasingly epic violence. Cover art by M. D. Quill! Accepted by The Royal Guard!

Novel Tale is an author that's been living in Canterlot for about ten years now. That's a pretty good track record for a changeling. He's even included a changeling character in his latest book, and his fans have been loving his take on such an obscure mythological creature, especially his biggest fan, Twilight Sparkle. Things are looking up!

Then an army of changelings from another hive attacks Canterlot.

Now all of ponykind knows that changelings are real, and his readers are sure to realize that the changeling in his book was too similar to the real thing to have just been based on a myth...

earlier chapters have been revised as of 7/19/13 to be more inline quality wise with the later chapters.

Featured on EQD 10/5/13!

Let it be known that there will be extensive changeling world building in the chapters to come.

cover image courtesy of ackdari.

Much thanks to Nyerguds for proofreading and to all my fellow tropers on the TvTropes pony fanfiction thread for helping me develop this from a vague idea into an actual story.

Partway through her morning practice routine—and routine it is—Octavia seems to have gained an audience. Well, if that mare wants to listen, she'll get a good show.

Expanded from the tenth-place finisher in /fic/'s first minific write-off, "What Lies Beneath."

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Cover art by drawponies

Reviewing help from Mystic and Chris.

Set in the 'Youngverse'

One day whilst out practising, Luna gets spooked by a butterfly and accidentally sends it to the moon. Running high on giddiness at her new power, she decides to play several pranks on her sister Celestia.

Surely nothing bad will happen, right?

The first story from Luna's and Celestia's childhood in the 'When they were Young: Luna and Celestia trilogy'.

When they were Young: Luna and Celestia trilogy.
'When They Were Young: The Box Queen and the Dracony' - Part two - Part two
'When They Were Young: Operation: Cookie Liberation' - Part three

Inspired by this comic by the wonderful Flaysch-Katzerl, go and show her art some love.

Thanks to DVAN56 and DisHarmonize for their help!

There are many duties and obligations a Princess of Equestria must carry out and Twilight is in the midst of learning them. Over the past few days Princess Celestia has been tutoring Twilight in a series of strange, seemingly nonsensical rituals and incantations. Could this all be as vital to the survival of Equestria as Celestia insists, or has Twilight simply found herself caught in an elaborate prank courtesy of the wily white alicorn?

This story is a sequel to Thrown Abroad

After the events of Thrown Abroad, Suncloak the changeling is happily living in Ponyville. Well, sort of. He needs the love of friendship to stay alive! Luckily, there's plenty of ponies who would want to be friends with him. But let's not forget about other changelings here...

You know, this would be a lot easier if the whole concept of friendship wasn't so needlessly difficult.

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Amazing cover art by Wolfeh! Find her Tumblr here!
Fanart!
To be found on Equestria Daily here!

This story is a sequel to My Little Changeling: Friendship is Weird

After the most important changeling artifact, the Evershifting Stone, is stolen by ponies, one changeling is blamed and exiled. How can he earn back his place in the hive? Find the thief and bring back the Stone.

He tracks the thieves all the way to Canterlot, which has changed a surprising amount in the past year and a half. Can he really find a thief among the confusing mess that is pony life and changeling integration?

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Cover image graciously provided by Raster!
Found on Equestria Daily here!