Fluttershy's always felt more than a little different from the other foals her age, but it wasn't until recently that she came to terms with one of the reasons why that might be. Her best friend, Jet Stream, has always supported her, despite how different they are...but he's been acting a little weird lately. Fluttershy wants to believe it doesn't have anything to do with her, but she's the only thing that's changed recently. Is she going to have to choose between her true self and her only friend, or is there something else entirely going on?

This story contains transgender themes.

Teleportation. It is the best possible way to travel... As long as you don't think about it too much. As long as you don't ask where Twilight goes in that split second when she's neither here nor there.

The sound I listened to as I wrote it, available to you in order to give you the option of having the same atmosphere.

No relation to the other story with the same name, just a coincidence of both picking the same excellent title. I was unaware that the other one existed.
Dramatic Reading by Charles Spratt | Second Reading by TheDizzyDan | Third Reading by Crafty Arts | Fourth Reading by Stormy787
Russian Translation 1 (by Aloz) | Russian Translation 2 (by Doof Ex Machina)

As Rarity stepped into her workroom, her sewing machine stashed in the corner and half-finished designs chucked into an overflowing trashcan, she felt her already hollow heart somehow crumble further, still in denial over one simple fact: 

Rarity used to be a designer. A good one and a bad one all at once.

But... she wasn’t a designer anymore. 

And if she wasn’t a designer, then she had no use to anypony. 

And if she had no use to anypony, she was worthless.

And if she was worthless, she was better off dead.

Thank you to Maxima for the cover art, and to Jykinturah and RBDash for seeing the absolute worst parts of me as I went through hell last year yet staying with me as if it was the most natural choice in the world. Thank you as well to my supporters on KoFi and Patreon for having faith in me even when I didn't.

Telling scary stories around the campfire is a long camping tradition, but when Applejack gets tired of hearing Rainbow Dash tell the same story with different words, she decides to share one of her own that her mother told to her, a long time ago. It couldn’t possibly be true, of course, no matter what Pear Butter had said all those years before.

It’s not as if anyone has ever seen any proof, after all.

Celestia awakens in a strange new place, her back aching with throbbing pain. The diagrams on the wall look like spines, but not pony ones. Was that a place to find help, or was something far more worrying afoot?

I'm fine with Celestia.

Celestia loves me.

Nothing is wrong.

Twilight has a migraine.

Migraines can be quite bad.

Weird experimental piece that took third place in Seer's Spookfest - a Quills and Sofas speedwriting contest that took place over a year ago. It was originally written in 75 minutes, and this version has a new ending ;)

Thanks very much to the lovely folks who read and commented during my first ever speedwrite: Mousse, The Legendary Bill Cipher, applezombi, Vis-a-Viscera, Seer, rice, Red, Equus, Novelle Tale, Silent Whisper, Buttery Biscuit, Emotion Nexus, Sweet Banana, Zontan, Hat Man, and Flashgen. I'm so glad I met you all!!

Twilight Sparkle has always been frustrated with Discord. His ability to do anything, with no more effort than a snap of his claw. It shouldn't be possible. His power had to come from somewhere.
Then, one day, Twilight lets slip how she feels. Surprisingly Discord agrees to explain it to her. To give her the secret to all of his powers. If she's willing to pay the price that knowing it all will bring.

It was vexing. Discord could do anything he wanted with his absolute limitless power, literally anything. How he could achieve all that with a snap of his talons had been beyond Twilight's vast comprehension.

That is, until he explained the secret, the infinite source of his abilities. It had been the single most greatest mistake of her life, to cast open Pandora's Box and see what sights were held within, never to be buried again in blissful ignorance. This was what she had chosen for herself.

Rot.

A spin-off to the the story Rot by Mister E. I suggest reading his story for context.
I appreciate the story being shared around, commented on, liked, enjoyed, all that jazz.

Silverstream sorts through old pictures of herself. Gallus proceeds to be cute.

Winner of the 2023 Quills and Sofas Trans Speedwriting Contest.