As the centuries pass, cutie marks come and go. Some are common: the healing cross, the basic compass rose, the courier bag. Others are extinct: no more mercenary companies, no more mercenary marks. A few are incredibly scarce, coming along once a generation or less: the mark for luck falls into that category. A number only manifest when the call for them arrives: train tracks didn't appear until it was railroading time. But for the most part, ponies take their mark with its associated talent and magic as a blessing in their lives -- no matter what that mark turns out to be. And they accept it as they accept themselves.

Luna, in her first truly open palace session dealing with the public, is about to meet the exception: Joyous Release, a pony who wants nothing more than to be rid of her mark forever -- and every bit of the talent which comes with it.

But marks are permanent...

(This story takes place shortly after A Total Eclipse Of The Fun.)

Cover art by Harwick.

Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

This story is a sequel to Vinyl and Octavia Have Multiple Dates

Vinyl Scratch is lying at home, bored. Her mood is immediately improved when Octavia comes home with a small present for her. From there, it isn't long before she finds herself being roped into playing an old game of Octavia's from her university days...

The Vinyl and Octavia Series
1. Vinyl and Octavia Machete Their Way Through the Jungle
2. Vinyl and Octavia Move House
3. Vinyl and Octavia Get Incredibly Drunk
4. Vinyl and Octavia are Forcibly Shipped
5. Vinyl and Octavia Fight Ten Thousand Ninjas
6. Vinyl and Octavia Have Multiple Dates
7. Vinyl and Octavia Engage in Roleplay
8. Vinyl and Octavia in 'Dial D for Detectives'
9. Vinyl and Octavia Duel Destiny
10. Vinyl and Octavia Bust Out of Prison
11. Vinyl and Octavia Join COBRA
12. Vinyl and Octavia Break the Timestream
13. Vinyl and Octavia Rob a Casino
14. Vinyl and Octavia's Freaky Day
15. Vinyl and Octavia Jump the Shark

Octavia is a high-class pony. Fine alcohol is her wont, and uncouthness her intense chagrin. Such is her surprise to find herself lumbered with an insufferable oaf of a DJ pony. However, sometimes these situations work themselves into a satisfactory ultimatum all the same.

Vinyl hears about Octavia's disaster of a performance at the Gala. Having broke up with her over a year ago, can things really be okay between them again, especially when Octavia is at the lowest point in her life?
~

As of 3/27/14, the fic is finished but un-edited. I'll get around to correcting errors eventually.
Cover art by Emii/Lava (tumblr)

Rainbow Dash's latest flying routine was interrupted by a sudden mountain, and Twilight can hardly sleep at night. No pony should be this excited to play with necromancy.

Edited by Deceased and JustAnotherTimeLord.

Cover art courtesy of pony-berserker.

Dramatic reading by WritingStylus

Polish translation by atom2004
Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi
Russian translation by NovemberDragon

After a young pegasus saves her friend, a unicorn filly named Sweetpetal, she has to be taken to the hospital. There, she is diagnosed with a disease that the doctors can't seem to do anything about. Before she is admitted to the hospital, which becomes her home over the course of her life, she makes a promise that she'll be friends with Sweetpetal forever. But forever never lasts very long, as her illness makes her incapable of moving. Before she dies, she returns the one thing her friend lost.
_______________________________________

This is my first serious MLP fan fiction, and I'm still a bit of a novice writer. I hope you all enjoy the story anyways. It was kind of based on some things that happened in my life.

Whoops. I almost forgot to mention that there will be two different endings. You can choose which one you want to read depending on how you think the story should end.

The bustling city of Metropony is under siege by Luna and her villainous assistant Trixie's army of deadly Lunatrons! Can Lyra and Bon Bon's crimefighting prowess and vast supply of heavy munitions keep the city safe for yet another week? Find out in this exciting episode of... HARPFLANK AND SWEETS. Warning: Not suitable for under-5s or those of an unawesome disposition.

- Now with added side-story, by supersheep64! - Harpflank and Sweets: The Lost Episodes
- Now with more added side-story, by RTStephens! - Haprflank and Sweets: Season 1
- Now with further more added parody, by Cold in Gardez! - Harpflank and Sweets: A Very Special Episode
- Now with extra further more added parody monstrosity, by Blueshift! - Sweetflank and Harps
- Now with extra TVTropes!
- Featured on EqD, rated 6-Star, for what it's worth!
- Exclamation marks!

This story is a sequel to Syncopation

Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Philharmonica. There's nopony in all of Equestria that doesn't know these names. They are the pinnacles of their genres and the peaks of every genre in between, but it wasn't always this way.

When they first met, Octavia was fresh out of the Canterlot Conservatory and Vinyl was the only member of Syncopated Records, a new music company created by Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur de Lis. They have grown since then, overcome trials both as individuals and as a company, but Fancy Pants still has greater plans for his company. Plans to expand, to become bigger names, to be known not only in Canterlot, but in all of Equestria! In order to do this, the musicians of Syncopated Records, Vinyl, Octavia, Harpo Parish Nadermane, and Lyra Heartstrings will travel through the princessdom, playing their songs and trying to make their own mark in music.

But it will be difficult. They'll have to be more than a company and more than a music group. They'll have to work together, getting used to their off-beat attitudes until they can work as one.

Syncopation must meet with Synchronization.

Octavia has hit rock bottom. After the Gala and being forced to play that song, she was cast out by high society. Now she must gather the shreds of her pride, only to have to swallow them to work under the only pony that seems willing to hire her. Now it's time for her to make a name for herself all over again, and she's determined to make it no matter what, even if she has to start over from Scratch.

Every pony in Equestria knows the names Octavia Philharmonica and Vinyl Scratch. Every musician in Equestria knows and reveres their talent and most semi-jokingly complain that Octavia and Vinyl's relationship should count as a monopoly on musical talent. Very few know their early story, years ago when Octavia had only just left Canterlot Conservatory and Vinyl was... well, being Vinyl.