In the past, Ponykind attempted to create alicorns, legendary creatures said to be like the goddesses themselves. But then, the War started, the goddesses vanished, and the constructs of science and magic turned their abilities on the living.

Now, years later, the world is struggling to pick up from where it left off, and the constructed alicorns are ingrained into everypony's mind as being soulless monsters. And despite the warring factions outside destroying what alicorns they come across, the Alicorn Project is still in operation.

In contrast to the outside world, for the new alicorns, life seems perfect. They're permitted to interact with each other, communicate with the Interface who acts as their teacher, and grow for Placement in a registered family they could call their own.

But one alicorn named Twilight, set to be placed with the Sparkle family, struggles with questions. Why her family-to-be seems so protective of her. Why the Interface refuses to tell her everything.

And why everyone refuses to let her go Outside.

After a sudden realization about how Shining Armor became a captain in the Royal Guard, Rainbow Dash hatches an insidious plot to become Captain of the Wonderbolts by following in his hoofsteps in the only appropriate manner...

By sleeping with a Princess, of course!

A collab fic with Doccular42. Needless to say, neither of us were in our right minds when we created this.

Pre-reading done by PegasusMesa and PheonixStarr

Editing done by m1ntf4n.

all are awesome!

(A light story focusing on Culture and Characters)

Breaking News Headline: COLT CATCHES LUCKY BREAK, GETS TO BREAK A LEG WITH PRINCESS LUNA

The winner of the first 'Royalty for a Day' contest has just been selected, a young earth pony colt from Ponyville named Pipsqueak. This lucky colt was selected randomly from tens of thousands of entries across Equestria to spend an evening with Princess Luna, stay at Canterlot Castle, attend the first Royal Nightmare Night Festival as Princess Luna’s personal guest, and will be knighted as Equestria Royalty for the day.

When asked, Pipsqueak had this to say. “Oh, I was just so excited when I got the letter telling me I’d won. Princess Luna‘s been my favorite Princess ever since she visited Ponyville during the last Nightmare Nights Festival three years ago. She’s ever so much fun! I must‘ave sent a thousand letters, I did.”

There you have it folks. I can’t say I’m not jealous of the little tyke. He’s agreed to tell us all about his day as Royalty sometime next week. Have fun, little guy.

-Head writer for the Canterlot Times, Inky Quill.

Written for VGI based on his art provided here.

Edited by Drgnwolf and enti0 who is also British and really helped with the accents.

When Twilight is preoccupied by her duties as organizer for Ponyville, Spike is asked to fulfill an errand for her in her absence. However, when the errand spirals into a series of bartering and favors, Spike fears he might never get the task done on time!

Will Spike be able to finish his quest and be a hero for Twilight?

Artist: NoxidamXV

Edited and Proofread by jeray2000 and Kestrel.

In which Shining Armor shares a story about his wife.

Now with Live Reading. Thanks, ScarlettBlade.

Dragged all the way from the Empire by the Crystal Couple, and for what? A wedding! I don't want to watch two ponies get hitched, what did I do to deserve this? I don't want to see all the pomp and circumstance, there's no need for it. I especially don't want all those ponies staring at me!

...
A good portion of my race was destroyed at a wedding, shouldn't that be warrant enough for me not to go?
...

Whorlygig isn't the most social of changelings, mostly because he's the only one in the entirety of the Crystal Empire. How do Shining Armor and Cadance turn him into a 'social butterfly'? Take him to a wedding in Ponyville, of course!

Still debating on changing the cover-art.

Twilight finds it a bit difficult to reconcile Celestia's playful new manner with the regal teacher she knew for so long.

Once she does, however, the benefits are plain to see.

Ideas, editing, and criticism provided by my partner in crime, Cryosite.

Now with a reading by HanaYoriUta.

For Luna, some days are just so boring. So what is a little princess to do?

Make her own kingdom of course.

Luna is a filly in this story, and is told from her point of view.

Until yesterday, my life was no different than anybody's. Go to work, pay the bills, sleep. Today, I woke up to a world without humans. The streets are empty, the power grid is running down, and not another soul is in sight. That might not be the worst thing, if I wasn't also a pony.

Where is everyone? Why is this happening to me?

Will l stay sane long enough to starve?

This story now has a hardcover! If you'd like one of your own, you can grab it here: https://starscribe.net/

Now with a TVTropes page! Для тех, кто предпочитает русский язык, перевод можно найти по ссылке.

Note To E-Reader users: This story contains illustrations in each chapter, which will be lost in the standard fimfiction chapter export. The generous Phoen1x took the time to produce an epub version with all the illustrations intact, which you can download here.

A huge thanks to Zutcha for all his hard work on the art of this story. Also a huge thanks to my editors Two Bit and Sparktail, for tolerating my half-written crap.

Lyra Heartstrings, transformation specialist and social worker for those who believe they were not born ponies. These are her therapy sessions, both in group and in private.

With a little gentle guidance, these lost souls can rediscover the joys of being a pony, and let go of their foolish ideas. What sorts of trauma would drive anypony to throw away their identity?