Among unicorns, it is traditional for the student to thank their teacher or professor upon graduating with some sort of small gift that properly reflects how much the student valued their instruction.

Twilight has been an alicorn for several months now, and she still hasn't found the perfect gift to give Celestia, who, after all, decided to skip over making Twilight a doctor and head straight to making her a Princess. What sort of gift could she probably give her?

Perhaps an apple will do...

Limited Liability is a changeling with a very routine life. He works at a bank. He lives with a marefriend. He goes through every day making sure he isn't discovered.

At least, that is, until the day that the hive has planned to invade Canterlot. On that day, his love runs out, and his disguise fails. Trapped in public with a chitinous body for all of Equestria to see, Liability has to find a way not only to survive, but to avoid ruining an invasion years in the making. Along the way, he learns a very interesting lesson about the ponies around him.

Written for the Equestria Daily "Outside Insight" contest.

Cover Art by Ruirik.

"What's the one thing everypony wants?"

Twilight doesn't really know how to answer that question. Luckily, her mentor is willing to help.

Princess Celestia always thought she knew how her kingdom worked. The Unicorns used magic specialized to their jobs. Pegasi flew in the sky and handled the weather. And Earth ponies... Earth ponies... uhhmmm...
Huh. Maybe Princess Celestia didn't know everything about her ponies after all.
Princess Celestia realized this after Applejack came to speak with her about a tax unfair to Earth pony farmers. It was during their conversation that Celestia realized she needed help.
Huh, isn't that odd Princess Celestia has had to leave on emergency business, leaving Luna to raise and set the sun? And hey, is that a new pony living and working at Sweet Apple Acres? I think her name is Sunshine Meadow. Surely, it's just a coincidence. Surely.