==Written for Pony Writing Month 2012==

Being the ruler of Equestria, Celestia knows quite a few things. Having lived for an expanse of time most mortals can't ever grasp, she has untold wisdom. That said, when it comes to knowing how to deal with a daughter you've never told anypony about and trying to get her to listen to you before a possible life altering change happens caused by having Alicorn blood... well, Celestia's fairly lost.

Not just that, but Celestia also finds that she's as out of touch with ponies as Luna is, much to her shame. She needs to figure out what it means to be a pony, for her kingdom, for her daughter, and for herself.

In the wake of the events of "Infernal Machines" and the Nightmare's most pathetic assault on Ponyville yet, Applejack is thrown into an existential crisis, despite her not knowing what the word "existential" means. So when a stranger named Stranger arrives in town, teaching a new way of coupling talent to power using complex machinery, she is quickly suckered in, along with everypony else. Now, it falls to the Most Dependable of Ponies to bring the resulting ruckus down to earth, but can even Applejack's legendary pragmatism stand up to the brain-fizzing horror that is... CONTRAPTIONOLOGY?

Now with a Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi!

Growing up is never easy, especially when you're a dragon among ponies and the closest thing you've ever had to a parent is a slightly scatterbrained young unicorn. When tempers boil over, can this makeshift family pull itself back together?

This story is a sequel to Post Nuptials

In the aftermath of the wedding, Spike is bitter and avoiding everyone. Twilight's determined to find out what's bothering her charge, but she walks a very fine line when dealing with an emotionally distraught child.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash suspects something's wrong with Scootaloo, so she starts spending more time with her in hopes of picking the secret from her brain. As she begins to truly mentor the young filly for the first time ever, she begins to see the advantages to having a little sister.

And while all this is going on, Pinkie is struggling with some old family issues that have been brought to the surface, meaning she might have to confront her past at last.

Art by Conicer

As the newly coronated princess of Equestria, Twilight attempts to go back to the everyday life with her friends that she had grown used to.

...but being a alicorn princess living with her newly acquired royal retainers in the small town of Ponyville can lead to some... problems.

We all know the royal marriage of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, but this story goes all the way back to when Cadance was still Twilight's foal sitter. From a simple crush, to young love, and everything in between. A love struck colt, a beautiful princess, and a friend ready to help. The road to love isn't always a simple one, but nothing safe is worth the drive.

Edited by FluttershyisMetal, metroid_freak, Angel_Bunny, and ajvasquezbrony28, four awesome guys willing to help with this story.

Princess Cadence is a lonely filly who has been shielded and protected all her life as a princess and member of the dwindling race of Sacred Alicorns. She longs for a friend her age to play with, and as a young teen she is sent to stay in Canterlot where her Aunt Celestia would personally mentor her in developing her magic. There she hopes to finally have the freedom she longs for and find somepony to be her friend. Instead, she is asked to foal sit for one of her aunt's royal adviser's fillies who may just be as lonely and reclusive as she.

This is the story of how Princess Cadence learns that the ability to give love cannot be complete without finding love for yourself, and sometimes it is found when you least expect it.

After a budget cut, Cheerilee is replaced by a younger and stricter teacher. Cheerilee searches for a new job in Ponyville while her students deal with the new teacher. However, everything is not what it seems. Can Cheerilee use her vast knowledge to save her students and Ponyville?

Twilight Sparkle has a lot of difficulty getting a good night's sleep. She has to keep it a secret from the ponies who care about her, because they might disown her. Worse, they might try to help...

WARNING: The first five or so chapters are, on reflection, properly grimdark. If this makes you run away like a puppy that just laid a brown egg on the new carpet, that's your prerogative entirely. Please don't tell me that I'm objectionable for having written it, though, because that's not very nice. Or accurate. At all.

The shiny new art is a commission by this lovely person, so do feel free to check her out for all your creepy-pony needs.