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Discord's cold heart has been touched. Fluttershy has done her job. But the journey to reformation can't be made in a single crossfade. This is the story of what happened between the first moment of doubt and his presentation to Princess Celestia.

In an effort to keep her mind occupied, Twilight Sparkle decides to delve once again into the grand mysteries of Pinkie Pie. This time, Twilight's focus is on her claims of growing up on a rock farm: like so many things related to Pinkie Pie, the idea that somepony could grow rocks as an agricultural product makes absolutely no sense. However, the investigation eventually leads Twilight to a rather... surprising discovery.

This is the first story in The Petriculture Cycle.

Artwork by Page Turner. Now with a TV Tropes page.

Twilight Sparkle is used to being lonely. Sure, she's got friends now, but sometimes they're busy and you're left to your own devices. When these times come, she takes refuge in a particular place and partakes in a very particular activity: writing. Specifically, silly throwaway writings. Why? Well, they're safe.

She noticed the pony for the first time when she was young, not long after she'd received her cutie mark. He became her oldest friend.

Note: comments contain spoilers; please don't read them first!

Cover art by DaisyAzuras • Featured in the Royal Canterlot Library

Reading by Neighrator Pony • Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi

Twilight takes a walk in the woods near Canterlot to clear her mind, when a mischievous little phoenix starts dropping chestnut shells on her head. Quite a familiar mischievous little phoenix.

Somewhat inspired by the song "Evermore" by Alison Krauss, a story to perhaps make its reader smile.

Thanks go to Skywriter, GhostOfHeraclitus, and "Nettle" for pre-reading; and Ziom05 of deviantART for permission to use "Sun Springs" as the cover art.

(BIG Important Author's Note: As of 5/30/15, the rewritten version has been posted. This is pretty much a new fic with the same premise and characters.)

It was supposed to be a mission of peace, a symbol of political unity. It was supposed to prove that a pony-griffon alliance was possible, that the two races could overcome their biologically-programmed notions of 'predator' and 'prey.' The Verdant Song could have been the end of their Cold War.

Whether by intentional sabotage or negligent miscalculation, the ship now limps through space, billions of kilometers from its destination. Without any hope of rescue or contact, the natural order of species prevails.

Some defy their instinct. They attempt to salvage what is left, avoid the merciless hunters, and bring the Verdant Song home.

If they succeed in reaching Equus, they can save the surviving colonists — but along with the colonists, they would bring home a ship full of irrefutable proof that griffons are carnivores and ponies are prey.

Celestia had a problem. Somepony wrote a novel about Nightmare Moon's rebellion. This made Luna quite unhappy, and unfortunately for her sister, Luna has not yet gotten the hang of modern traditions like freedom of speech, the abolition of the death penalty, and not bothering Princess Celestia when she's trying to sleep.

Fortunately, Celestia also had a faithful student, one who is now a Princess with an ill-defined portfolio and perfectly capable of dispensing justice by the laws of both today and one thousand years ago.

Now Twilight Sparkle has a problem.

(Title image hacked together from vectors by Martinnus1, Hawk9mm, and Paulie15.)

Twilight finds a filly Earth Pony hidden in her basement, reading magic tomes and eating her sandwiches. The little one claims her special talent is related to magic and that pony society had no place for one such as her.

Twilight is awestruck by the claim. Is pony society not welcoming of the differences?

Sequels:
- Purity
- Fighting Destiny

Editing and pre-reading by: Web of Hope, shutaro and Dusk Watch

Charis is an earth pony philosopher with no cutie mark who has a desire to see the world through a perspective other than her own. She keeps pestering Discord to become his student, much to Discord's annoyance. Every day she asks, and every day, he says "no."

Until one day, he changes his mind and takes on a magic-less earth pony as his protege. Now that he has relented, the draconequus is delighted with his student, realising something has been missing in his life.

Discord, now reformed, now has the Princesses watching him, waiting for him to corrupt the innocent earth pony filly.

Eventually, he does something far worse.

Edit: Featured! 6/11/14

Strange nightmares are plaguing the ponies of Equestria.

Somepony must help ponies to face their deepest fears, but unless Princess Luna is able to discover who—or what—is responsible, the nightmares may never end.

Scootaloo is ready to prove that she can be as fearless as her big sister, Rainbow Dash, even if it means never having a peaceful night's sleep again.