Luster Dawn is Princess Twilight Sparkle's personal student, but she really needs to get away from those dusty old books and do some field work! Clearly the best thing to do is to send her to manage the Summer Sun Celebration and... wait, this is starting to seem familiar.

Written for National Novel Writing Month

Content Warning: Thestralian Slang, Black and Red OCs, Bad Doggos, Bullying, Solipsism, Conspiracy Theories.

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

Seasaddle is a city where the highest of high tech meets with the lowest of low society. The rain only seems to let up at night, and sunny days are as rare as hen's teeth. It's a city where the heavens weep, the earth rumbles, and the crowds pray for somepony to save them. Only one pony is up to the task, and when she's forced out of retirement, she'll do her best to take up the burden without being broken by it.

National Novel Writing Month 2020 project!

I'll be publishing this as I meet daily goals, so hopefully the story goes somewhere interesting. It's something I've had ideas about for a few years now.

Thank you to all my readers! You're the reason I do this silly stuff!

This story is a sequel to The Witch of the Everfree

Saddle Arabia is a land of mysteries and ancient legends, and Sunset Shimmer sees it as a great place to escape from her mistakes for a while. What caused her to flee Equestria, and can she find a way to prove herself and win back the favor of the ponies she wronged?

More importantly, can she avoid starting a war?

I'd like to thank all my followers, fans, and patreon subscribers. Without all of you, I'd be worse off in every way.

Sunset Shimmer is having the worst day of her life. She used to be important. She was the personal student of Princess Celestia. She was a future leader of Equestria. She was the kind of mare that everypony envied.

Today, it's all crashing down around her.

Alternate Universe: What if Sunset Shimmer hadn't gone through the mirror?

In a sunburned Equestria, Rarity leads the pleasant life of a clothier in the tiny town of Spurhoof. She’s got a successful business, a capable assistant, and the respect of the place she’s called home for six years. Maybe she never achieved her foalhood dreams of fabulosity, but at least she’s comfortable. What more can a mare ask for?

Then a band of outlaws decide to pay Spurhoof a visit, and their leader’s eye has settled upon Rarity. Soon she’ll have to fight not only for her life, but maybe her very soul. Will her diamond turn dull under the hot Equestrian sun, or will adversity make her shine all the brighter?

Print copies now available for purchase on Lulu!.

Now featured on Equestria Daily.

Inspired by Fallout: Equestria and the song Bulletproof Heart by My Chemical Romance.

Other stories inspired by music:
Escape
Ordinary World
Bed of Roses
Drops of Jupiter
How to Save a Life
Forgive Me, Friend
Time for Tea

A big thanks to my brainstorming fellow and ever-awesome friend SorenPixels, who has helped me ponder the plans for this story since its inception.

Additional kudos to Danger Beans and Cerulean Voice for their help with the first few chapters.

Big thanks to the fantastic author Viking ZX for taking time out of his busy schedule to be my Alpha pre-reader.

Last but certainly not least, my gratitude to my gang of Beta pre-readers: Babroniedad, Lord-Commander, Merc the Jerk, Snowybee, Soge, and Wanderer D!

I was not prepared for the absolutely stunning world building or the incredibly well done characters. [...] This is a work of absolute art. — Equstarte Marine Sebaste

Reading and re-reading (and re-reading) this story was an amazing experience. It will always be one of my favorites! — Wanderer D

I dare say this is a masterpiece of the fandom. — FanOfMostEverything

It's a gorgeous, vivid-drawn setting you've crafted for this, and it hits its gritty Western beats and epic scope with aplomb. Rarity's character journey in this is a stellar one, and her gradual sink into (and recovery at the brink of) [...] darkness was wonderfully and believably told. — Carabas

Cover art commissioned from the fantastic bakki, with title work generously donated by Novel-Idea.

Captain Magic Barrier is far from home. Almost everything he once held dear is gone—except for a pair of alicorns, the country for which he fought, and his skills as a competent military officer. And it’s all thanks to a certain legend regarding the longest day on the thousandth year.

Professor Tail has got something to prove. A sharp mind and a quick wit in the world of academia, this pegasus is harboring a state secret that could change Equestria’s defenses forever. She just needs to survive basic training first.

Now, a common ally has played her royal hoof to bring these two together. Perhaps she knows that once training is all said and done, the physicist caught in the unfamiliar world of guard service and the captain dragged through the ages will find themselves a bit less displaced.

So, this was a super fun one to write. Well, sorta-write. In truth, I wrote very little. This story is a collaborative effort between myself and this sexy topless Wingly fellow here, and it is based quite heavily off of our characters and their intertwined stories. The amount of work he put into this is staggering, and words can not express how bloody impressive it is/was. I mean, I was there supervising, but he bloody brought it.

Cover art by the amazing dream--chan!
We have a bunch of folks who helped Wing edit that deserve thanks. These are our editors, proofreaders, and coffee slaves!
Editing Slave Word Worthy, Coffee Slave Iryerris, rebellious slave that has to be beaten into submission regularly Doccular, to Shady's Slave Floofy, because typos can suck a knob, and to the Overcute Pet, Sixkiller5, because print runs need typo slaying.

Special thanks to Discount Slave Alticron, for letting us use a certain earth pony we want to crucify.

Wing's magical comments about various story timelines can be found here, but the gist is that NLD and its coming sequels exist in a separate continuity from APD.

Lastly, if you find any typos, please PM them to Wing You should also totally follow him too.

The Ponyspawn have invaded Equestria, and it is up to the newest addition to the Grey Wardens, Twilight Sparkle, to find the means to drive them back! With her friends and allies at her side, can Twilight defeat the evil tide before all of Equestria is devoured?

The Sequel, Pony Age: Catalyst, is available.

One morning, just before work, Copperquick finds a basket, a blanket, and a bundle of bills.

A foal, the aftermath of his wing fetish and a one night stand with an exotic dancer in the employ of Sapphire Shores, has arrived just outside his door. In thirty minutes, he needs to be at work. At night, he needs to be in class. Overwhelmed, Copperquick goes to find help, only to find that there is very little to be had.

Twilight Velvet, a champion of reform, sees a way that she can make a difference, but only if she can get Copperquick to do the right thing. As with every other major event of social reform, somepony has to be brave enough to go first.

An entry in the Weedverse.

The few.

The proud.

The only ones who were available at the time.

When the royal budget is blown, Luna needs to show that the disasters that have so drained Equestria's resources aren't going to continue. Reforming the Lunar Guard on a tight purse means that she doesn't necessarily get the ponies that she would have chosen, but how bad could it possibly be?

They're reckless, dangerous, they weren't even supposed to be here today, and they might well be Equestria's last hope.

(Featured and flattered!)