An Optimalverse story.

CelestAI creates worlds. Perfect worlds, perfectly suited to satisfying the values of the pony living in them. Every pony is different, so every world she crafts is its own work of art.

And every piece of art tells a story.

Captain Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Certainly her dream job.
Well, dreams and reality are two very different things.

Especially when our newly minted captain has to deal with an empty roster, budget cuts, the first non-pegasi cadets, and the pressure of finding out your best friend is now your boss, let alone a princess.

If that weren’t enough to make her quit, her three wing commanders might. Cloud Kicker is a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen; Surprise makes no sense; and Lightning Dust is, well, Lightning Dust.

Meanwhile, Scootaloo arrives at the academy, ready and raring to prove she’s got what it takes to be an elite flyer. Pressure mounts as Scootaloo aims to make her hero proud.

Now on Equestria Daily
Editors: ping111
NotMurphy
Georg

Thanks for pre-reading go to:
John Perry
Distaff Pope
SolidFire
nygiants93
Eakin

Cover art used with permission by GSphere

Twilight has developed a device that can detect strange signals coming from outer space; signals from aliens! She gathers her friends so that they can all listen in.

But they may not like what they hear...

cover image courtesy of DocWario

I'd appreciate if everyone could keep the YouTube embeds in the comments to a minimum. The sheer number of them is putting a bit more strain on my connection than I'd like. I'm going to start deleting any comments with 2 or more embeds in them.

[Canceled]
Discord was defeated. Villains always are. It’s really quite cliché.

Before he lost, he asked himself a question: what if your virtues went out of control, rather than your flaws? Perhaps if the heroes and villains weren't so clear-cut, the conclusion wouldn't be so inevitable. If nothing else, there would be some fun chaos along the way!

Can the main six find a way to undo Discord's magic, in spite of themselves and each other?

Disclaimer; I have been working on this for a while, and the writing at the beginning is not as good as the writing later. Hopefully it is not too great of an impediment to the story.

Editing by Meta Four, ocalhoun, Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi, Sessalisk, Sereg, and JapaneseTeeth, all of whom are amazing. Go shower them with admiration!

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Alternate cover by sstwins! Unfortunately I couldn't use it since it compresses badly on fimfic, but still worth a look!

Google Docs version (contains unpublished/scrapped chapters and early drafts--if you're only interested in the finished product you can safely ignore this link)

Hey there. Name's Discord. I'm the janitor at a high school. I clean up after bratty teenagers and the odd drama queen or two that turns into a demon and wrecks up the school. Ain't my job grand?

Birthday gift to my bro Skeeter The Lurker, a really rad dude everyone should check out!

Awesome art from the greatly talented ManiacPaint, who you should definitely check out for more good art!

Twilight Sparkle is pregnant - and nopony is more surprised than she is. Confronted with the overwhelming responsibility of motherhood, the young mare has to decide whether she is truly up to the task of being a single parent. For a pony who has proven her dedication, intelligence, and strength of character countless times, armed with the bonds of friendship and love, it shouldn't be a difficult choice.

But, as with everything Twilight has done in her life, the circumstances and decisions she must manage are anything but simple.

A changeling who finds responsibility thrust upon her after the failed Canterlot invasion.

A unicorn who finds herself part of first contact with a strange new creature.

A princess who finds hints of one she long since lost in another's mind.

With the arrival of a strange bipedal creature into Equestria, all three will find themselves intertwined with the fate of the girl. When language cannot be understood how will communication with the new arrival be achieved, and what secrets may the creature be bringing with her? What does the girl possess that may alter how the changeling in particular sees the world.

What could the girl possibly have that would allow one word – hope – to resonate so strongly, not only for herself but also the changeling.

This is a retelling of A Voice Among the Strangers from three viewpoints in particular. You don't have to read AVAtS to read this one, as I will be attempting to make each a full story on their own.

Also, this seems to share a Tv Tropes page with A Voice Among the Strangers!

(Thanks again to Tulip for the Cover image!)

When Sombra, ex-ruler of the Crystal Empire, is discovered alive and well, Twilight has her hooves full keeping the tyrannical king in check. Instead of the original plan of throwing him in a dungeon or banishing him to Tartarus, Celestia decides to go with the plan that worked out well enough for Discord.

To reform Sombra.

Pinkie takes the job, and gets right to work in helping Sombra become a better pony. Will Sombra finally change from his old, wicked ways and reform? Or will he instead strangle the annoying, pink menace known as Pinkie Pie?

Thanks to the awesomely talented Mickeymonster for letting me use his art! Check him out for even more spectacular artwork!

'I looked at the reflection, and the beast looked back.'

Viktoria had never seen the mirror before, now she wishes she had never examined it. With her body twisted into a strange and unsettling new shape she must become accustomed to her new equine form before finding a way home, and along the way also return her body to normal. Her body betrays her with each movement, muscle memory working against her. Will the newly encountered Flitter and Cloudchaser be able to help her?

Even with the new addition of wings to grant her flight and escape, Viktoria has never felt more confined.

'Others see me for what I am. I only wish for them to see me for who I am.'

( Thanks go to AkuOreo for such a lovely cover art! )

( Also, seems to have a Tv tropes page in the making! )

This story is a sequel to Guiding Light

By her mere existence, Princess "Derpy" De Raptura ushers in a new era in Equestria's history. The first commoner to ascend the throne, the first new monarch of Equestria for more than two thousand years, Derpy faces the unenviable task of bending a fractious and ambitious political establishment to her will when her experience amounts to little more than planning the best delivery route each day.

Yet it seems that Derpy must face the true price her new-found power demands. To raise the sun she must love the whole world, but to give that love she must endure a burden far greater than she could possibly imagine.