In the jungle, even sleep is not a refuge from the horror of war. A radio operator tries to find something to hold onto while surrounded by nightmares, both real and imagined, and the line between the two is all too often blurred. One day, he knows, he'll go home and try to move on. Until then, he keeps the radio on.

CONTENT WARNING: This story contains potential triggers for veterans suffering from PTSD. It is based on the recollections of a dozen veterans I've spoken to over the years, in particular several Vietnam War veterans. The content is disturbing, but necessary to paint an accurate picture of one facet of war. Link to veteran helpline here.

This story is not intended to be a commentary on the Vietnam War. Rather, it is about a soldier finding something to cling to when surrounded by madness. This describes perhaps a majority of the men who served in that war: good people caught in an impossible situation and just trying to survive and keep their comrades alive. Whatever your opinions on the nature of the conflict are, please be respectful of the veterans in the comment section.

My Little Pony and its contents are the property of Hasbro, Inc. and its affiliates. Please support the official release. Cover art is a public domain picture from Free Images.

Dear Princess Celestia,

First, allow me to offer my deepest apologies.  I have no doubt the news I'm writing to you about has, somehow, already reached you.

Still I know it is my responsibility duty to bring this matter to your attention myself.  Especially given that it involves a national hero.

On my authority as your personal student, I have placed the human known as Gary Stu under citizen's arrest.

Please believe that nopony is more shocked than I am about this.

Twinkleshine had barely started kindergarten when she first met the universe. Like most first meetings, it had been awkward, not under the best of circumstances, and a single instant that ignited a lifelong passion, which would inevitably end with late nights and concerned parents.

Baked Bean is but one of the thousands of tourists in Canterlot, and he's looking for some inspiration to help launch his writing career. To this end, he pays a visit to the Royal Gardens, but while there he quickly and quite accidentally invokes a long-forgotten law that will completely upend his life and thrust him into the spotlight...

As Celestia's husband.

And all this because of noses.

As seen on Equestria Daily!

With an audio reading by Fire Hearth Studios!

Cover art graciously provided by the Right Most Awesome Backlash91!
Original cover art provided the Right Most Awesome Sipioc!

Proofreading and prereading services provided by Georg, Sipioc, and Moon Fire!

Fan Art for this story can be found right here!

A most worthy review by Cyonix!

Twilight Sparkle only wanted to go off-script in her Harvestfeast speech to talk about books — upending the Equestrian calendar wasn't the plan. But there's no stopping an idea whose time has come.

She and her friends just invented Black Friday.

Celestia help them all.

Written for the "Here at the End of All Things" Writeoff, and lightly edited for FIMFiction.

Cover art by karpet-shark.

Starlight Glimmer and Trixie have learned much about friendship and each other ever since they met, but their latest challenge proves to be the toughest yet. As Princess Twilight and her close friends visit a faraway town to solve a friendship problem, Starlight is tasked with taking care of the Castle of Friendship and resolving any related problems, and Trixie agrees to help out.

Unfortunately, that's the easiest part of the day, and it doesn't take long for them to regret helping out.

Thanks to -TGM- for editing.

Blackness whispers within the core of the great diamond, forgotten by those old enough to remember. For centuries, it cried out from within its earthen tomb, too faint for any to hear. With the fall of Lord Tirek, the magic he had stolen surges across Equestria.

The diamond thrums, resonating with the untold energy. Its voice caresses Spike's unsuspecting mind, begging him to seek out the artifact and allow it to transform his deepest desire into reality.

As seen on Equestria Daily.

Art commissioned from the amazing IDW My Little Pony comic book artist Tony Fleecs.

Thanks to LegionPothIX, R5h, Inquisitor M, AugieDog, and Prak.

Edited by Horse Voice.

Isolated from her friends and taken prisoner in the middle of a war, Twilight must deal with the very real dangers of being percieved as an enemy as well as the nightmares of her arrival on 'Earth'. Can she overcome her own fears and the fears of her captors? Will the wayward unicorn's assistance be a boon or a curse to the 'humans?' Most importantly, will she ever find her way home?

"In short, it's a story of friendship and plasma rifles, with the emphasis on the friendship. The characters are well written, the XCOM setting is fleshed out very well, and the story is compelling. If you love XCOM, you'll love the story, but even if you've never heard of it, it's more than worth giving the first 3 chapters a read.

There's excellent action later on, but the real strength lies in the collision between the friendly and naive world of Twilight Sparkle and the desperate world of humans fighting a losing war for survival and willing to do anything to turn the tide."

--Arzoo

(XCOM/FiM crossover)
(Cover art commissioned by a friend and created by the magnificent FoxInShadow!)
(Original cover art by the amazing Carnelian can be viewed here!)
(Gore tag for blood and some violence)
(Many thanks to the studius OminousTen, Arzoo, xXFluttershyForeverXx and finally Setokaiva for giving my rambles a once-over)
(Now with it's own TV Tropes page! Get to tropin' folks!)

Princess Twilight Sparkle has died a hero, but no one knows why.

Between an ancient evil that had not even existed until she struck it down, a mysterious crystal ball that bears some unknown significance, and a set of cryptic notes and behaviors from the princess during her final days, the circumstances behind it all are murky at best and suspect at worst.

And the rabbit hole only grows deeper from there.

The Crystal Ball Trilogy is a series of stories which deal with time travel, parallel universes, and other manipulations of time and space. Feedback is the first story; it is succeeded by Substitute and Divergence.

Digital pdf version here
Print book version here

Featured on 7/19/2015!
Featured on Equestria Daily! 8/21/2015
Featured by Everfree Northwest! 3/11/2016
Featured by Seattle's Angels! 9/27/2016
Goodreads entry~

Edited by
PersonalGamer
Kuairu

Live reading by Alchemystudent
Fan-art by Miss Hoot

Twilight Sparkle is an expert in unicorn magic, but earth pony magic remains a mystery to her. The books in her library have very little information about the earth tribe's abilities, other than their famous strength. Twilight is determined to uncover their secrets.

What she learns will change her life.

And it just might change Applejack's life as well.

Featured on Equestria Daily.