Ballpoint Smudge has one job. It's not an easy one, but it's one he's determined to do to the best of his ability. The only problem is that as soon as he meets Twilight Sparkle, everything he's ever learned about princesses goes flying out of the window. He was expecting her to be regal, haughty and bossy. Instead she's warm, friendly and welcoming. Perhaps she's genuinely a nice pony? Nah. It's got to be a test.

Based on an idea by Ambrose Bierce, from his excellent Devil's Dictionary. Just look up 'Insurance'.

Featured at 12.30 GMT on 15/06/2016. I am very pleased indeed about that.

"Thanks, Mom." Two simple words said by a simple guard.

Not so simple when those words are accidentally addressed to Princess Celestia.

Many have opposed Celestia and all of them have fallen, one way or another. Some she has slain. Others she redeemed. Her servants and friends have done great deeds in her name and her fame has spread throughout all of creation. She is the Sun in all of its glory.

And yet she finds that she cannot get a single child to believe she is even real.

Part of the Monophysite Quartet.
Ageless, Or Celestia Plays Dice With the Universe, Have You Considered My Servant, Twilight?, and The Esoteric Rites of Darkness (NSFW), all coming from a single story idea called "Monophysite" and exploring some perception/idea/theory about who or what Celestia is and how that effects her friends and loved ones.

"The pieces are set, and the dice are in play. But does every pony have the heart for this day?"

Nearly two hundred years have passed since Rarity Belle merged with the Crystal Heart and took the throne of the Crystal Empire. Since then, through her care, determination, and vision, the Empire has flourished like never before. Now Empress Rarity stands as not a ruler of a providence, but the monarch of a rising superpower.

Today though, is the Empress' Birthday, and Lady Merry Sapphire, seneschal to the Empress, is determined to make this the best birthday Rarity has ever had. Little does she know that not everypony shares her enthusiasm for today...

Notes:
This is an official prequel to the Princess Twilight Sparkle's Birthday stories, created by Autumnschild. This story will develop and expand much of the world we made, but taking place 250 years before PTS500 and its sequel, PTS505. Due to its time gap and status as a prequel, you do not need to read the stories created by Autumnschild, and I have done my best to help that. However, knowing what happened in them will help you be a bit more aware of what is going on, and I encourage you to go read them for they are very enjoyable.

We now have our own group! Come check out the Birthdayverse!

Credit goes to Autumnschild for the proofreading for this story.
Razalon The Lizardman is credited for the grammatical overhaul.

Great thanks goes to these two, for this story would not be as good without them.

A human stays among ponies, mystifying them with his odd traditions and customs. It will be five years before Celestia and Twilight can send him back to his homeworld. Until then, Twilight wants to study him and have him experience pony culture. These are their stories.

Let me give this to you straight. I'm a doctor. My title says 'Nurse', but I'm a doctor. I deal with sick and injured ponies daily, and give both treatment and advice to them with trust and confidence. That includes a certain six friends and their own medical needs.

If the rest of Equestria actually knew that disaster was one missed pill away, I don't think 'riots in the streets' would be sufficient to cover it. But I'm bound by Doctor/Patient Confidentiality, so I guess I'm the thin red line between civilization, and eternal enslavement by some horror from beyond.

That eternal enslavement thing sounds better every day, mind you.

*Cover image original artwork credited to mysticalpha

One night, before Hearth's Warming Eve, Princess Celestia goes to light a fire to keep warm.

A voice in the chimney asks her not to do so.

After storming into Princess Celestia's personal study unannounced, Twilight Sparkle soon learns her yearly battles against the forces of evil are a little more scripted than she'd thought.

And this year, Princess Celestia might've just outdone herself.

Now with a youtube reading! Here!

When a colt named "Bad Dude" storms into Celestia's personal study and declares himself as her latest arch enemy, the Princess can't help but nearly gush from the sight. As perhaps the cutest villain Celestia has ever encountered, she hurriedly calls for Luna to meet him as well.

But is there more to "Bad Dude" than his cute exterior would suggest?

No. No there is not.

Now with a youtube reading! HERE!

It's a week after Nightmare Night, and the dead have risen. Zombies, ghosts and skeletons walk Ponyville's streets. It would be pretty terrifying, except for the fact that they're so nice. Also, they don't seem to realize they're dead.

But not everypony is happy with their new undead neighbors. Rainbow Dash is a little freaked out, Twilight Sparkle is on trial for murdering a skeleton, and Rarity conspires against her ghostly business partner. Will our heroes be able to keep up in a world where busy ponies don't have time to let death slow them down?