While playing a game of scrabble with Rarity, Twilight Sparkle accuses her of making up a word.

Rarity disagrees.

Dedicated to Carabas.

Special thanks to SigmasonicX for the prompt, and RBDash47 for the scrabble rules nitpicking.

Sweetie Belle has the mind of a young filly, and like all youngsters, they often prioritize fun with friends over more important things. Normally, this isn't an issue. However, after a fun day out with her two best friends lasts longer than expected, the little unicorn's good mood is interrupted by a Low Battery Alert. Now the robotic filly must rush to get home and plug herself in before her battery hits 0%.

In a year marked by the greatest number of legal assaults on the rights of trans people to exist that has ever happened, this is my contribution to Pride Month for 2021 - my own, personal, real life transition story, ponified and coated in science fantasy. I took a metaphorical sword and sliced open my guts for you to see, raw and bleeding. This is my life, this is my story, painted in ponies. Petal Chatoyance says: Trans Rights!

Sweetie Belle knows there's something wrong with Ponyville. There should probably be plants growing, and less dirt in the air. Maybe the sun should set every now and then.

For her, no incongruity is quite as important as her simple mission. She must reach the center of the maze before her body runs down. It's a good thing she has such good friends along to help her.

The end of magic in Equestria doesn't have to be the end of ponies, not if Sweetie doesn't let it.

This story was written for the Iron Writer competition at Everfree Northwest, where it won an honorable mention. This contest required an idea conform to certain prompts, and be written entirely in the span of two hours.

Cover by Zutcha

Whenever Time Turner touches a pony, he knows how and when they are going to die.

This makes living a regular life rather difficult.

Set in the Conversion Bureau universe, two young men face the inevitable totality of the expansion of Equestria into our world, and in the decision of one to choose transformation, both must come to an understanding about what is truly important about the meaning of self. Features Enhanced Audiobook Version.

♥ As Featured On Equestria Daily!

On a dark and stormy evening, one young man is ripped from home to a place both familiar and yet different. Torn from everything he’s known, he’s faced with an encounter of the hoofed kind, that changes him arguably for the better. But destiny is a fickle thing. Having traded one existence for another, comparatively boring one, he’s left with little freedom but much guidance. It’s a gilded cage, one from which he can merely catch glimpses of the outside land, of magic and ponies. Fighting both cabin fever and a growing self-doubt, he must have faith, if not in himself, then in finding a way home. For if not for his sanity, then for his sake, he better have the fortitude to withstand the curve balls sent his way.

For as long as Equestria Online existed, Ashton has been involved with 'the Scene' tearing it apart. Selling 'spells' for the game to do things that most ponies in Equestria couldn't, using faint exploits in its API to erode the barrier between the game and the rest of the internet. He had no illusions about the superiority of his work--but so long as he respected CelestAI's boundaries, his spells kept working.

But then his best friend's sister got cancer.

Now there's no spell in the world that can keep him from emigrating to be with her, leaving Ashton alone. All around him, civilization's thin veneer crumbles as homes empty into Equestria. But Ashton isn't going to emigrate, not if he has any say about it.

The problem for Ashton is that humans are systems, and aren't immune to exploits either.

Part of the Optimalverse universe of stories. If you've never seen a story in this universe before, you might want to try out the original first, or at least my first. None of my previous work is required to understand this one, however.

This story was commissioned by Two Bit, who requested a more serious exploration of identity, transformation, and the fae nature of CelestAI.

As usual, particular thanks go to my editors Two Bit and Sparktail. And gratitude to Zutcha as well for the cover.

Rainbow Dash's morning was pretty much ruined.
She tripped getting out of bed and landed flat on her face, giving herself an aching muzzle.
She forgot to buy her favorite brand of hay flakes at the store yesterday and had to eat plain toast for breakfast.
She found out she had to pull double-duty today and tomorrow on the weather patrol.
Oh, and she found a nearly-dead foal, broken and bleeding at the edge of Ponyville.

The rest of her day became a whirlpool of stress and worry but the colt woke up, thank Celestia.
Something's not right, though. Nopony can find his parents, he's not in the registers, and there's an unsettling look in his eye...

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YouTube reading by Fire Hearth

Chinese Translation by forgivenlove

Russian Translation by Likantrop

TV Tropes page, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

The story is on a prolonged hiatus. It will be updated again, but the date is uncertain.

Maria is a simple girl living in a quiet Russian town. Her life and where it would go was already decided by her parents and the society. She always wanted to get away from this but didn't know how until a mysterious wish granter shows her a path. Little did she know how it would turn out - on the night of her birthday, after she makes her wish, she is transported to Equestria and turned into an alicorn.

Her wish for a different life will certainly turn into more than she could ever expect.

Cover art uses Canterlot Throne Room by mattbas and sitting Celestia also by mattbas

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