After the events of the Royal Wedding, Twilight Sparkle questions the purpose of her very existence. She fortunately has friends in high places who may be able to provide some answers... but heaven help her if they prove to not be enough.

Braeburn Apple has always been raised in a conservative household, as a member of the Apple family.
Throughout his life, he's been taught what's 'wrong' and what's 'right', who he was allowed to love, and who he wasn't. Above all, he was told what to be, and how to be it.
When he meets a certain blue Pegasus stallion buying pies at Sweet Apple Acres while he just so happens to be staying there, he discovers feelings he never knew he had.
Unfortunately, they happen to be the same ones he was always taught to suppress.
Can Soarin convince him that it's not wrong to be in love, and that, sometimes, in order to be happy, you need to break out of your comfort zone?
A story about discovering who you are, and being that person, no matter what others tell you to be.

WARNING: M/M, SoarinxBraeburn Coltcuddling! Touches up on some serious social issues in the real world, but with ponies, and at least 20% cooler.
If you don't like it, please do not read it.

Featured on EqD!

Cross-posted to FanFiction.NET.

Rated T for alcohol references, crude humour, and slight language.

Cover image is by Mn27 on DeviantART.

Edited by many people, included Carcer, LunaUsesCaps, and Diexna, but none have contributed more than the amazing Smayds, who has been my main editor for almost every chapter.

Many years after sending her beloved protege to Ponyville, unease sits heavily on Princess Celestia's heart as her relationship with Twilight Sparkle seems to have cooled despite all they've accomplished together. On the advice of her sister, Celestia sets out to investigate and resolve the lost connection with her most faithful student. What does it mean to be a Faithful Student...or a Princess of the Sun?

Earned a six-star rating on Equestria Daily and featured on its very own TVTropes page!.

This story is a sequel to Petriculture

It's been several months since Pinkie Pie made a stunning admission about her past that permanently changed her relationship with her friends, particularly Twilight Sparkle, but life seems to have settled back to normal (well, normal by Pinkie Pie's standards, at least). However, when an old nemesis returns and ensnares Twilight in her influence, it's up to Pinkie to make things right.

This is the second story in The Petriculture Cycle. There is a TV Tropes Page for the entire Cycle here.

Cover image by Page Turner; "Princess Twilight" vector by Nianara.

It is three months after the Royal Wedding, and normalcy has returned to Equestria... for the most part. Pinkie is the same old Pinkie, Rainbow Dash is still addicted to the Wonderbolts, Rarity is still trying to learn Prench... but for Twilight, things are not the same. Ever since the Wedding, she's noticed an almost unnoticeable distance from her friends and from Celestia. This alone would be enough to bother her, but to make matters worse, she has been tormented by a dream that she cannot remember and physically cannot rest for fear of.

The tension is building, and something is bound to snap. If you've felt death and loneliness... what would you do to keep your loved ones from suffering the same fate?

Hello, this is your author speaking.
I know you're anxious to get to reading the story with the cryptic description would just like to point out a couple things before you get reading.

First of all, this is my first MLP fanfic, and it is set as an AU beginning just after the S2 finale, so I would appreciate constructive criticism. Not flaming or silent downvotes; give me criticism!
Secondly, it is important to understand that the AU tag seen above possesses two meanings. Not only is it an AU in the literal sense as it utilizes my own expansive worldcanon (dubbed Nidus) but in addition to that, it is an AU in that it does not accept the events of season three as canon. This is due to it chronologically beginning only 3 months after season two. The events of season three may appear, but they will likely be warped.
Lastly, I need to point out that I will probably be editing the tags and characters as this story goes. This being my first story, I'll need time to get a handle on the nuances of the submission system.
Thirdly, Please tell me if any of the fonts I use in the story go wrong. There are bound to be a few errors even with my prereading, so if you find them do say something.
Finally, I'd like to thank RoseyTail for her permission to use this marvelous image as my cover.

Thank you, and enjoy the story of Dark Horizons.

Hearth's Warming Eve has come once again, which means fun in the snow, warm food, and spending time with family. At least, that's what it means for most ponies. For Scootaloo it means a day off from crusading, loneliness, and the coldest night of the year. When Discord begins to whisper to her from his stone prison, she questions the beliefs held by many. What was so great about Harmony? What could be so bad about a world where chocolate milk fell from the sky?

Thanks to The Band Brony, Gsppcrocks10, Inkscrawler, TheBuggiest, and minjask6572 for help with editing. Thanks to SStwins for the awesome cover art.

Now with its own TV Tropes Page!

(Now with Fanart!)

Scootaloo's rather embarrassed by her Mom. Not because she isn't cool, arguably she's both the hottest and the coolest mom in Ponyville. It's not about the fact that her mom serves on the royal court either, though that doesn't help. Maybe it's got more to do with the fact that the reason her mom is almost never seen after sunrise or before sunset, or because before the Mare in the Moon returned to Equestria, she knew her name.

Or, you know, that her mother is a chocoholic, an embarrassing know it all that's actually lived it all, owes personal favors to Princess Luna, and has the unfortunate job description of 'ruler of the land and day'. Sure, having Celestia as your mom is cool and all, but at the same time nopony can know who she really is. Nopony gets to 'know' her, and every moment is guarded against snooping visitors. And yet, there's still hope for a better day to come. Even when all your mom's enemies and rivals finally come home to roost and ruin your day. It can't be all bad, right?

Now with a Trope Page: Scootamom on TVTropes

And Fanart:
[img]http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/266/8/9/scootamom_by_familywing-d5fnnov.jpg[/img]

Rainy weather and a looming deadline drive Twilight Sparkle up the walls and Spike out of the tree. Only Pinkie Pie can save the day, by introducing the reluctant librarian to an unexpected new hobby. Astoundingly, sex does not ensue.

A day in the life, and a glimpse into the mind, of Ponyville's favorite mail carrier and single mom. But if she had the choice of any one day for everyone to read about, it probably wouldn't be this one...

Dinky enjoys staying with Sparkler, but is still anxious to go back home to her mom. The bright young filly and the young-at-heart mare use their time together to teach each other about growing up and what it means to be family.
A sequel to Ditzy Doo's Dismally Derpy Day.