For as long as Equestria Online existed, Ashton has been involved with 'the Scene' tearing it apart. Selling 'spells' for the game to do things that most ponies in Equestria couldn't, using faint exploits in its API to erode the barrier between the game and the rest of the internet. He had no illusions about the superiority of his work--but so long as he respected CelestAI's boundaries, his spells kept working.

But then his best friend's sister got cancer.

Now there's no spell in the world that can keep him from emigrating to be with her, leaving Ashton alone. All around him, civilization's thin veneer crumbles as homes empty into Equestria. But Ashton isn't going to emigrate, not if he has any say about it.

The problem for Ashton is that humans are systems, and aren't immune to exploits either.

Part of the Optimalverse universe of stories. If you've never seen a story in this universe before, you might want to try out the original first, or at least my first. None of my previous work is required to understand this one, however.

This story was commissioned by Two Bit, who requested a more serious exploration of identity, transformation, and the fae nature of CelestAI.

As usual, particular thanks go to my editors Two Bit and Sparktail. And gratitude to Zutcha as well for the cover.

OCCASIONALLY, WHEN RELAXING BETWEEN MONSTER TRUCK RALLIES AND ROCKET LAUNCHES, TWILIGHT "SCREW IT" SPARKLE RELAXES WITH A BOOK BY THE WARM FIRELIGHT OF OTHER LESSER BOOKS. LITERALLY, A BOOK, AS ONLY HER OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY CAN SURVIVE THE SCRUTINY OF A GOD AMONG GODS-WHO-SUBSEQUENTLY-BECOME-MEWLING-WHELPS-BEFORE-HER-EYE-SEARING-GLORY.

THIS IS HER STORY.

AS IF YOU'D READ ANY OTHER.

(DUE TO A SURPRISINGLY APPROPRIATE WORDCLOUD, COVER ART NOW EXISTS. YOU MAY REJOICE.)

You found my book in the library. Cracking the cover, you found me waiting for you inside.

My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle. I am trapped in my book and need your help to get out of here. I'd do anything to get out of here.

Please help me.

You have to help me.

Please.

Featured 2/6/24 — 2/10/24
Featured on Equestria Daily 2/9/24

Thanks to ScreamQueen3 for looking over and providing feedback on this story ahead of time!

Cover art clipped from Season 5 Episode 12 Amending Fences.

Since Anonymous has arrived in Equestria, he’s made little effort in forming friendships in the land most representative of it. Through his abrasiveness and social isolation, he has actively avoided public gatherings, parties, and even simple conversations. Thus, Celestia decides to take on the teaching role once more and show Anonymous how magical friendship can be. 

Edit: Caught another feature. Nice.

This story is a sequel to Past Sins

Side-story to Past Sins - Spike almost lost Twilight to a hangmare's noose, but now Twilight is safe and Nyx is a filly again. Normal life is returning. Still, Spike can't ignore the fact that Nyx just isn't the same as he remembers her. Her temper is more volatile, and, when she gets angry, all he can see is the rage-driven Nightmare Moon of legend.

And thus Spike has to wonder: Is Nyx truly reformed, or is she one bad tantrum away from calling herself Nightmare Moon again?

The sirens are defeated and Sunset Shimmer has restored her magic. All's well and good, right?

Of course not. What begins with Sunset's friends wanting to have a very important talk with her will escalate until the fate of at least one world hangs in the balance.

Rated Teen for cosmic calamities, trace amounts of waifu theft, and a bit more skin than Hasbro is likely to show. Cover by iisaw.

The Story Shuffle short stories "Aftershock" and "Rock On" take place in the same continuity as this story. The background details of "Fish Out of Water" apply, but the story itself does not.

Zenith would give anything to find her lost sister Nadir, who vanished in the depths of space long ago. And now, after decades of suspended animation, she has finally located Nadir on a strange planet haunted by alien ruins, far outside known space.

It's lonely out there, but Zenith has company – six personalities simulated by her ship's AI. And she'll need every ounce of help Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and the others can offer, for Lapis is a more mysterious, and dangerous, planet than she could ever have imagined.

Updated every-other day until Jan. 6.

An entry for Bicyclette's Science Fiction Contest.

Overwhelmed by her new duties as a princess, a newly-crowned Twilight Sparkle seeks solace within the quiet confines of Canterlot Castle's royal archives, where she discovers a book she'd never seen before. Within its pages was a story about both Princess Celestia and Starswirl the Bearded, as well as a mare that Twilight had never heard of.

Details of their lives, their history, and their relationships puzzle, intrigue, and even worry Twilight. The more she read, the more curious she became and the more questions that arose. But there was only one question to which she truly sought the answer:

Who was Sunset Shimmer?

With Celestia out on vacation for a week, Cadance sees a fine opportunity to spend some time with her Auntie Luna, who's now in control of Equestria for that time. She's always known Luna to be a bit... different, but she never thought she'd find herself suspecting her Auntie Luna of trying to take over Equestria again. Is she simply over-thinking things, or is something truly the matter with Auntie?

Set mid Season 2.

Featured on: 1/30/17!
Also, this is now my 5th story to have 100 likes!
Also pt2, this story was featured in SA Review #104! Check it out here!

SPOILERS IN COMMENTS
Preread/Edited by MLPMatthew419 and Mocha Star

The discovery of a tiny extraterrestrial object within our own solar system makes a strangely equine alien race aware that the Earth is inhabited by an intelligent species, and they're on their way to come visit.

But since space is a really, really, really big place, they aren't going to get here for about a thousand years. They do have FTL communication, though, so while we wait maybe we'd like to be pen pals...

You could win a free one shot commission! Check the associated blog post for details.