A brutal battle against a savage beast nearly cost Princess Luna her life. But little did she know that this would change her life, and all of Equestria, in ways that nopony could imagine.
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Rated Teen for limited violence early on.
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I'd like to thank my two editors: TheMajorTechie and Rijo Striker. Rijo is a new author like me, providing good recommendations to improve my work. A special thanks to TheMajorTechie, my great friend, who has provided a lot of insight to really improve this massive story.

Young Cheerilee is happy to have finally settled down with her family in a nice town like Ponyville, and she's not about to let her nervousness about her first day of school stop her from making new friends. Most of her classmates seem nice, but...

There's one young colt who'll barely say two words to her. And she's determined to find out why.

SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS!

Big Mac needs to talk about some things.

This does not come easily to him.

Princess Luna shows up in town to teach Twilight about illusionary magic. She finds something that gets her interest and decides to work a few illusions of her own.

Image courtesy of Peachspices of DeviantArt. Teen rating for suggestive matter.

Everypony knows the stories of Twilight Sparkle's adventures with the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Their heroism in cleansing Princess Luna of the Nightmare, their courage in facing Discord and his anarchy, their resolve to help Ponyville face its many disasters. What everypony doesn't know is that none of those stories ever happened.

This is Big Macintosh's story. And it is true.

Isabella is a half changeling that feeds on the love of others. She is also a master thief and has built quite a name for herself in Canterlot.

When something goes wrong on a heist, she has to flee from Canterlot, leaving behind all she has. She also learns she has matured farther as a changeling and now must obtain the love she feeds on directly from somepony, just like her changeling siblings. There's just one problem. She can't change form.

It’s been fifteen years since Sunset Shimmer graduated from CHS and about ten since she married the man who was currently sleeping next to her. In fact tomorrow would be their tenth anniversary and for some reason that kept her awake.

As she looked at the ring on her left she couldn’t help but smile. It was the same small silver ring he bought her for her graduation. Her gaze wandered from her hand to the man who once gave her that ring. With her smile growing a bit wider she started to remember.

This story was written for Oroboro's recently announced Sunset Shipping Contest: Changing Seasons.
I hope many of you will join the month long shipfest for Sunset. And for all who can't or don't want to join, I hope you have fun with dozens upon dozens of awesome shipfics.
And finally my personal thanks to The Fan Without a Face who helped me a great deal by editing this story and Celestia be my witness. He did an awesome job.

Prom season sucks for Big Macintosh. He wants nothing to do with it at all. While down at the lake to collect his thoughts, he meets Sunset Shimmer, a fellow classmate who is also fed up with dances. They might have come to be alone, but their company is far better than solitude could have been.

Big Macintosh journeys to the 140th Annual Equestria Agriculture Convention held this year in Stalliongrad, a city nicknamed "Citadel of the Earth Ponies." During the course of the convention, he will learn more about himself then he ever thought possible.

Update 11/19/2012: Story on hiatus while I work on other projects and consider revamping this story. My apologies.

Being a soldier is something most equate to honor and the highest respecting position in the world. Some soldiers offer the ultimate sacrifice for their country, others come home in one piece. Big Mac isn't in the glory business, he just wants to serve his time and come home. He finds there is no such deal with the army.

Picture by GordonFreeGuy. This man is a drawing genius. http://gordonfreeguy.deviantart.com/art/Comrade-Macintosh-316577336