Main Course is a successful chef and restaurant owner. Or he was, anyway, until a fire tore up his life's work and left him adrift. When he visits his sister in the rural backwater town of Ponyville, he discovers an abandoned building that's perfect for a quick fix-up so he can flip it for a profit. But the building comes with an unforeseen tenant, and when he lets her stick around he discovers that maybe, just maybe, there's something out there more important than wealth and fame.

Spike only wants things to stay the same. Time, however, has other ideas. He's going to need a lot of help... An everypony story.

(Cover image by Rannva)

This story is a sequel to Discord Teaches Philosophy

Warning: The following is currently unedited and contains a significant amount of Philosophy.

After deciding on taking up the role of a Substitute and finding out that the main Philosophy teacher is boring his students, Discord decides to step in to take up the responsibility of teaching. And he will do it by teaching it in plain Equestrian, in a way that these young students would understand. As well as in his own unique way.

Lesson Plan (in no particular order):

Socrates: His Method and How We Ought to Live ✅

Plato: Allegory of the Cave ✅

Marcus Aurelius: How Stoicism Deals with Hardships ✅

Confucius: Who is Ruling Whom? ✅

Kintsugi: The Art of Imperfection ✅

Machiavelli: In Defense of the Prince ✅

Montaigne: Usefulness of Humility ✅

Rousseau: Of Savages and Civilization ✅

Kierkegaard: Subjectivity and Truth ✅

Nietzsche: Of Suffering and Happiness ✅

This story is a sequel to Hive Alive

After the chaotic series of events that created it, Twilight's small hive is now positioned with her at the peak of Equestrian authority. Not all are pleased by this. A coup has just been averted and the plots of those behind it may still be in motion.

With all other alicorns away and Discord gone with them, Equestria's history will be written by only one mare. She and her hive of friends and lovers are already being dragged into the tragedy of power-seeking pony elites, invaders, and ancient evils.

It begins as Cloudsdale falls...

GENERAL NOTES
1. Please see the age rating note below for a disclaimer on content and general story mood.
2. This is the direct sequel to Hive Alive. There is no significant time jump between stories.
3. Due to the length of Hive Alive and the time since it was finished, I have put together a useful timeline summary. Those interested in remembering key details from the 230,000+ word story will be able to do so easily. It is posted in a blog entry here.
4. Recommended to be read with the background color set to "Dark" via Formatting. It's the changeling thing to do. Chrysalis approved.

UPDATES
Biweekly. One new 3,000-4,000 word chapter every other Wednesday.

FULL TIMELINE SUMMARY OF HIVE ALIVE (for those that want to refresh themselves)

AGE AND CONTENT RATING
Rated Teen for violence, non-graphic injury, some crude language or terminology, innuendo, and suggestive content. No explicit scenes or descriptions will be included. Deaths may be mentioned but are not detailed. The intent of the story is not to be entirely serious or dark and therefore is not tagged as such. There will be more cheery scenes to come after the beginning chapters and thus this should not be confused with going the path of improperly tagged grimdark.

Alternate front cover is in progress.

In Popular Stories: December 31, 2016
First Featured: January 4, 2017

Thanks for reading!

Art by BlackWater (me)

In this one-shot idea, Fluttershy asks her friend Discord if he would be interested in taking up the job as a teacher at the new School of Friendship. Discord agrees to teach them something if he were given a chance to test-drive it by having a few students to see if he would take up the job. What follows is a lesson on the meditations of Reniegh Haycartes.

A special thank you to DuskHeart13, The Hat Man and SashimiPony for taking the time of proofreading this.

Note: this and its sequels were written before "Matter of Principles."

Purple Point: the foul-mouthed, poker playing (and winning) Assistant Chief Engineer of the Cosmic Lotus. Eidetic memory, triple doctorate, and holder of secrets. Does anyone really know him, other than how good he is in repairing systems so that they never to be fixed again? Well, not really. Few know just how determined he can be. Also, don't EVER cross him...

Based on my OC in Goldfur's Cosmic Lotus story. Hats off to you, Goldfur, if I was wearing one...

This story closely parallels Goldfur's Cosmic Lotus. To fully understand this story, read Cosmic Lotus as well and spot where the two stories intertwine. You'll like it!

Featured Story 17 May 2018. wowsers...

Advances in science and magic had detected the Anomaly – a star in the heavens that was unlike all the others in the night sky. Intense research had only served to deepen the mystery. Although Equus had a vibrant space program, going forty-two light years to investigate had been considered impossible until now. The Cosmic Lotus program was born, and over a hundred crew-members of multiple species were sent into the void to discover the unknown. After a journey of years, what they would find would both amaze and terrify them.

The prequel to this story is the "Ad Astra" arc in the story – "Life, Love, and Death in the House of Path".

This will be a crossover story with my "Chakat Universe".

Captain Flowers thought it would be just another ordinary day. Be there for his men, keep the fighting to a minimum, and make sure nothing bad whatsoever happened to Church. Just like any other day in Bloodgulch.
And then the little pony appeared and refused to let go of his charge. This was going to be interesting...

---
Part of the PWNY-verse.

Another side of the story is being written by cyberlord4444, and can be found here: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/386172/rock-in-the-gulch-analysis-anarchy

Edit: New Cover Art by ProfessorCatPro
Edit 2: Fan art by Cookie_Girl! So adorable!

His father missing, presumed dead...betrayed by a friend.
Lost and alone, Fox McCloud turns to the universe for some sign there's something worth fighting for.
The universe answers in the form of a firebrand from another dimension.
Now his life is turned upside down for the second of many times. Especially when the little filly starts calling him 'Dad'.

Part of the PWNY-verse.

Edit: Awesome new cover art by ProfessorCatPro! Along with ideas for tech pictured in the cover, which will appear in the story.

This story is a sequel to Melody of the Future

Two friends separated by circumstances and eras...

Both return to the same time and place, back to their own world, their old lives.

But both have changed greatly, and they did not return alone. And both carry scars of what happened to them, inside and out.

Can these two pick up the pieces of their old lives, and go back to where they were? Or will they perhaps become something more?

Part of the PWNY-verse.

Edit: New Cover Art by Spitfire-Sos over on Deviant Art! It was a prize from a raffle, and I love it so much!