In the midst of a battle to protect Equestria, Twilight Sparkle falls. For a moment—just a moment—she wonders if she should bother getting back up this time.

A treatise on 2020, written and published 12 days late. Blame it on the Gregorians.

Sunset Shimmer is no spring chicken, that much is for sure. Her best days are a long, long way behind her. Content to live in the human world without settling into any sordid romances, she set her scientific mind to good use, and pursued a career that left the world in a better state than it was when she first arrived. A lifetime ago. But nobody, not even an equine-turned-human, is immune to the passage of time. And as an elderly Sunset settles down to enjoy a quiet evening on the porch of her small cottage, an old friend pays one last visit.

In the dead of winter, Equestria celebrates the arrival of a new year. On this special day, Celestia and Luna make a show of raising the sun and lowering the moon simultaneously, allowing their subjects to know the exact moment that they can begin partying.

Luna has some reservations about this.

Sunset Shimmer doesn't live in Equestria. She hasn't for a long time. But she's been visiting, more and more, having found herself drawn closer and closer to the alicorn princess who once saved her from herself, and having also found her affections were reciprocated.

Now, Sunset's been invited to spend Hearth's Warming in Ponyville, together with Twilight in her castle. There's no doubt that Sunset's happy to do so, and every moment Twilight's there makes that clear. But as she looks out upon the snow-capped small town decorated in its bright lights, she finds herself still at a perpetual distance from the world she once belonged to, both in spirit and in body.

It's not a sentiment she'd expect Twilight to relate to. But there might be more in common there than she thinks.

Written for AFanaticRabbit for Jinglemas 2023!

Pre-read by Avery Day, Dewdrops on the Grass, and The Sleepless Beholder. Featured on 12/25/23.

Seeking a gift for her girlfriend Sunset Shimmer, Wallflower Blush journeys through Equestria with the help of Princess Cadance.

Written for Muramasa for Jinglemas 2023

Sunset nearly loses everything to one of the stupidest things that's ever happened to her. However, in spite of how dumb all of it was, it continues to eat away at her. She knows it shouldn't, but she can't stop the feeling on her own.

Thankfully, she doesn't have to do it on her own.

This is the only thing I will ever write referencing anon-a-miss. No relation to any of my other canon.

Featured 12/20/23-12/22/23

Pre-read by Nudistsquid.

(Cover image source)

Sunset Shimmer is Princess Celestia's most faithful student. The last thing she wants to do is disappoint her, and she's done everything in her power to make the princess proud. After a certain encounter, she finally figures out what she was meant for all along.

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Featured from 9/22/23 - 9/23/23!

This story is a sequel to Can You See What I See?

It's only living the dream when it's your dream.

This shares continuity with Chromatic Aberration, Can You See What I See?, and Crowds & Constellations, but those are NOT required reading to understand what's going on in this story.

Dedicated to my lovely wife whom this was written for and about

Preread by both my wife and Nudistsquid.
Cover used with permission by TCN_tancha

After learning about the Rainbooms’ previous adventures, Sci-Twi steals Sunset’s journal to write an urgent message.

Mention of an attempted suicide.

This fic was written for the A Thousand Words Contest II in the category horror. Check out the other entries here.

Huge thanks to RDT for proofreading it!

Twilight's silhouette used for the cover art was made by Wissle.

Celestia tries to stop Sunset from leaving.

Written for the A Thousand Words Contest II Contest in the Drama Category.

Preread by The Sleepless Beholder and TCC56.