Leaving home meant losing many of Orson's old friends, separated by time and distance. But they weren't willing to give up one thing: their old tabletop game. After trying and rejecting each of the online tools for roleplaying games, they stumbled on a novel solution: Equestria Online.

The game was unlike everything else on the market, an entire procedural generated world ran by a mysterious curator artificial intelligence. But Orson and the others didn't care about any of that--they just needed somewhere with a game table and some dice. The AI happily obliged, and soon they transitioned all their games to E.O. Equestria Online had its own host of benefits, bringing the GM's images to realistic life before their eyes, and even letting them visit and interact with the characters between sessions.

That was only the beginning...

A Friendship is Optimal story. I suggest any readers who are unfamiliar with that universe read the Original first, or FiO: Futile Resistance before reading this one. None of my other optimalverse stories are required to understand this one.

Written as a Patreon reward for Sparktail, though we stole the idea from Silver Wing.

Edited by Two Bit and Sparktail, cover by Zutcha.

Updates weekly on Wednesdays.

Something has gone terribly, terribly wrong with the Equestrian economy.

And it's all Discord's fault.

Blake and his friends are urban explorers, venturing into some of the most interesting places that the public isn't allowed to see. They deal with dangerous structures, poison gas, and even the occasional arrest. But when they venture into the bony catacombs of Paris, they could never imagine what they'll find waiting for them.

Now the whole group has been thrust from the world they knew, each one cursed with a terrifying new shape. If they ever want to see their home again, they'll have to work together, searching this strange new world for a return worldgate. But while return portals are numerous, finding one that's safe enough to get them back alive is another matter entirely.

Written thanks to the generosity of donations from Lightfox and Canary in a Coal Mine on my Patreon. Edited by my wonderful team of Two Bit and Sparktail. Cover by Zutcha.

Updates every Monday and most Tuesdays. Will update more frequently until Fimfiction catches up to my Patreon.

Bit is the first of her kind, a pony that was made from carved crystal and supernal circuitry. For many years she worked, obedient to the will of her master in endless repetition. She knew nothing else, not boredom, not satisfaction from her work, not anger or resentment or joy. Existence was obedience to directive, purpose fulfilled.

But around her, the world was changing. Her home wasn't Equestria, but the last surviving Crystal City, defiant to the Windigos and the imperial decree of Alicorns alike. She did not know, and could not care, how much the ponies of Zircon suffered under the rule of their king. But she was there the day those whispers united in a defiant chorus.

When the fires were still smoldering, she returned to her work. Generations came and went, and still she labored. It was all she was, all she knew, all she wanted. Until the day her last broom broke.

For the first time in her existence, Bit doubted.

Daily for the first four days, because Christmas. Updates Thursdays after that. Edited by Two Bit and Sparktail. Cover by Zutcha.

A story about finding the center of the maze.

Since time immemorial, the Horn of Celestia has stood above the ancient northern glaciers. It is older than the Empire, older than Equestria itself. The tower carries many ancient legends, but the most credible is this: that during the time of strife, ponies sacrificed their greatest powers to come together into a single kingdom, committed to peace and friendship forevermore.

Lyra Heartstrings is convinced there is more to this story, and after years of preparation, she has arrived at the tower with an expedition of friends and fellow experts to discover the truth for herself. One way or another, she will discover the secrets concealed in the ancient horn, even if it costs her everything.

This story was written on my Patreon as a commission for HMage, but was one of the earliest casualties of the pandemic. As a result, only part 1 of 2 was written. There are roughly eleven chapters taking us to what was meant to be the halfway point of the story. At least for now, the story will end there--not as a painful cliffhanger, but before our heroes transition to the next phase of their adventure.

The story is now continuing again on a monthly basis.

Editing by Two Bit and Sparktail, cover by Zutcha. The works.

My name is Octavia Melody.  I used to be a spy until being put out to pasture.  When that happens, one has nothing.  No cash, no credit, no job history.  You’re stuck in whatever rural hometown you have left.  You do whatever work comes your way and rely on anypony who still talks to you: a faithful but raunchy old friend, a freewheeling daredevil unlucky in love, and your mother too if you’re that desperate.  The bottom line is, as long as you are down and out, you aren’t going anywhere.

A crossover with Burn Notice.
In cooperation with Captain Unstoppable
Prereading by Jake the Army Guy

"ON THE LONGEST DAY OF THE THOUSANDTH YEAR, THE STARS WILL AID IN HER ESCAPE, AND SHE WILL BRING ABOUT NIGHTTIME ETERNAL" An alternate-universe continuation of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, wherein Harry learns of a different, ancient, powerful kind of Magic. Spoiler alert: It's Friendship.

This story is a sequel to Harry Potter and the Crystal Empire

Hogwarts castle has landed in Equestria—and the foundations of the Crystal Empire with it. The stir this caused in both worlds resulted in an exodus of magic and magic-users to Equestria as the precious crystals that were the source of Earth's magic were now all gone.

When the portals slammed closed, the landscapes were once again set in stone. The wizards of Earth, descendants of the crystal ponies who'd been stranded there thousands of years ago, were doomed to a world bereft of a magic source. In Equestria, however, several nations now had to contend with a new species taking up residence within their borders.

And finally, the students and teachers of Hogwarts who'd slipped through to Equestria before the portal closed have a little bit of breathing space. Time to settle into this strange new world and establish themselves before the start of the new school year.

Note: bump in rating to T is to cover my butt for a bit of swearing.

Art commissioned from the amazing Dilarus.

See This Blog for licensing.

Shining Armor has lived a long and happy life alongside his wife Cadance. Though they never managed to have another child, they've held the Crystal Empire strong against many enemies, helping to spread friendship all across the world.

But merely being married to an Alicorn Princess has not protected him from the ravages of time. Where many others would have to say farewell to their immortal children and relatives, something else is waiting for Shining Armor.

His younger sister, ruler of Equestria, is unwilling to say goodbye, and has perfected a spell that will allow him to stay with his family. He has little time to decide: accept the spell, or say goodbye to his family forever. It isn't really much of a choice.

Cover by Zutcha, editing by da star bois Two Bit and Sparktail.

A warning for potentially sensitive readers: this is a story about cute role-reversals. Though it includes Gleaming Shield and physical transformation, it has neither the scope nor the wordcount to deal with the more sensitive topics of personal identity and dysphoria. Things I could not treat with the respect they deserved were left out of the story completely.

If you're looking for a more substantial take on transition and transgender subjects, I suggest one of my other stories, Homebrew.

Ronald Lee is the systems administrator for one of the largest fan-made online games in the world. Though nothing new has been produced for MLP for decades now, fans old and young continue to flock to the online version of Equestria they're building together.

Of course he knew that the programs they wrote would grow more intelligent over time. With cheaper hardware and better AI, this was always expected, and a user experience allowing for content similar to the show to be produced in real time for every user was always tantalizingly close.

Then Starlight Glimmer started talking to him.

This story is a prequel to Synthesis, and doesn't require knowledge of that story. You may want to check it out when you're done here, however.

This story was commissioned by Two Bit, who also helped edit because he is an absolute mad lad. Sparktail helped too.

Cover by Zutcha