Time passes...

Hearts change...

Bonds that once seemed unbreakable become distant memories.

For Sunset Shimmer, the glorious years of her youth have long passed. She's put down roots, and built a life for herself at Canterlot High. The bustle and excitement of yesteryear becomes replaced with the peace and tranquility of routine.

All that changes when the past comes back to visit...

Special thanks to SolidFire for his editing work.
An entry for the Changing Seasons contest

"I'm going to be famous!", "I'm going to be the next big thing!", "I'm going to be a superstar!" Octavia couldn't even count how many times she'd heard her roommate claim that she was headed for fame and fortune.

But the worst part is, Vinyl might not be wrong. At least, not entirely.

This fic is inspired by the Dream Theater album Octavarium, which is awesome, and you should go listen to it. It is not, however, required to understand the story.

And for the record, this is not a Vinyltavia shipfic.

Twilight has always loved mysteries. Researching them, dissecting them, and finally, solving them. Almost nothing could compare to the joy she feels when finding an answer to a question no pony knew.

But there are mysteries with answers better left unheard, truths that aren't meant to be known. Now Twilight has solved a mystery with an answer she doesn't want, an answer she can never forget.

You are a human in Equestria, forced to work as a for-hire 'stress management consultant' (ie, cuddler) in order to make ends meet in this strange world while others search for a way for you to get home.
However, you've just been assigned to your biggest job yet- 'managing the stress' of none other than Princess Celestia herself. How will you go about your job?
In this Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story, you make the decisions, you are responsible for the consequences, and many possible storylines await!

Featured 5/24/17! Thank you all so much!

There are certain responsibilities which come with being a Princess, and Twilight's still learning about most of them. She's slowly adjusting to meeting diplomats, attending ceremonies, and hosting functions. However, being on the receiving end of the scheduled, contractually-obligated kidnapping came as something of a surprise. And she really doesn't understand why she's supposed to cooperate with it.

Her kidnapper's starting to become a little frustrated.

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

Rainbow Dash can’t wait for her first date with Applejack; they always have an awesome time hanging out, and a relationship just means there are even more physical activities they can try together. So when the dumb zap apple harvest postpones their date, she decides it’s the zap apples that are going to have to change their plans. Equestria should know by now that wild, ancient magic is no match for Rainbow Dash, especially when she might get laid.

Everything is going according to plan, until she crashes. Or, rather, until she wakes up after crashing and fifteen years have gone by. Fifteen years during which she seems to have been a very busy pony.

Now Rainbow Dash has to adjust to a life she never thought she wanted, and figure out if she’ll ever get to live the life that brought her here.

Update: Proofreading and formatting by RBDash47

Written for the AppleDash Group Contest prompts "Family" and "An Important or Memorable Date."
Cover art by SketchyJackie

Twilight knows that Rarity is a hopeless romantic, experienced through countless romance novels.
Twilight knows that Rarity has had some bad experiences with romance and courtship.
Twilight knows that Rarity still dreams of somepony to properly sweep her off her hooves.
Twilight has no idea how Rarity keeps missing the hints she keeps dropping.

Written for Monochromatic's Raritwi contest.

Cover art generously offered to all contestants and provided by the skilled Multiversecruise.

Top of the Feature Box on 05/05/17 and then for 72 hours straight: A huge thanks to everyone who liked or commented on this story.

  After Sunset Shimmer brings Sci-Twi’s strange magic-absorbing amulet back to Equestria, Princess Twilight Sparkle has a brilliant idea. If they combine the amulet and the magic of the portal, the two of them could hop between worlds at the push of a button!
  Who better to test out this fantastic new technology than two of the greatest minds in all of Equestria?
  They probably should have calibrated it first.

SunLight Sliders is the result of the Sunset Shimmer community's epic three-month collaboration project, where each author had three days to write a 500-1500 chapter in the ongoing saga of Sunset and Twilight Voyaging through the multiverse! Every author picks up where the last one left off... giving us one crazy journey in space and time!

Featuring the Talents of:
Novel Idea
NotSoWickedWitch
Tumbleweed
DrakeyC
Fuzzyfurvert
RQK
Marwile
TheNewYorkBrony
Sunsette
Oroboro
OddOneOut
Tchernobog
KalenNighteyes
Idsertian
ratedoni
Space Jazz
The Albinocorn
CoverArt
SciSetDaily/Little-Tweenframes
Dubs Rewatcher
Deathscar
EbonQuill
journcy
X3n0heart
RadiantBeam

Cover Art by the Astoundingly Amazingly Awesome SciSetDaily
Cover Text & Section Break Design by Novel Idea
Twilight Sparkle Cutie Mark by Intbrony
Sunset Shimmer Cutie Mark By Millennial Dan

Editor Credits
Novel Idea - Lead Editor & Project Organizer
Ebon Quill - Audio Director & Quest Designer on The Manehattan Project
Little Tinker - Master of Systems at Poniverse & Scripting Engineer on The Manehattan Project
Beltorn - Commenter-at-Large on FimFiction

Special Thanks
To the entire Sunset Shimmer Group and all the commenters who embraced the madness of this crazy journey!
Tchernobog for constantly answering Novel's annoying questions about this exercise in lunacy.
The AppleDash Group for "At the Drop of a Hat" the original inspiration for this project!
Fahrenheit for his invaluable assistance in wordsmithing that fantastic synopsis and elevator pitch!

Word Count: 41,000
Version: 10.5

Rarity tends to embrace innovation: after all, a pony who wishes to stay on trend must move with the times. And she loves anything which gets rid of dirt. So when she sees a new kind of shower at an expo, she becomes the budding company's first customer. Because what could be more important than cleanliness?

The common sense required not to be a new product's tester. That's much more important.

(A stand-alone, no-prior-reading-necessary part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group: new members and trope edits are welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

This story is a sequel to Secrets of a Royal Guard

Duty, honor, and loyalty above all else. That was what Silent Knight had been told ever since he was a colt. They had guided him all his life and he was more than ready to follow in his father’s hoofsteps by dedicating himself to the Royal Guard. Then he discovered something else he had never expected: friendship and love. He learned that he owed these values not just to his job, but to his wife, his friends, and his family. Unfortunately, he learned that too late.

War has broken out between the gryphon kingdoms and Equestria is stuck in the thick of it trying to protect their ally, Nordanver. As Silent marches off to war, he must contend with the guilt that battles within him. He played right into the claws of Sudramoar's sovereign, and now he must leave his newlywed wife behind so that he can pay the price for his foolish actions.

Knowledge of the Quill & Blade AU is recommended to understand this story. It is a direct sequel to Secrets of a Royal Guard.