A filly waits in a small white room. Waiting for her friends to visit. "Hi! I'm Silver Spoon and I'm the Perfect Patient! What medical symptoms would you like to treat today?"

Winner of the Magic Fades and Science Grows contest on Quills and Sofas.

TW for lots of gore and emotionally cruel treatment of a child. Read with care, and if emotional child abuse is something you've experienced perhaps steer clear of this one. I think my initial trigger warning wasn't extensive enough, so apologies if anyone was disturbed by the content. This is a grimdark look at sentience, souls, and the way people/ponies treat things they perceive to be inhuman.

It's strange how a single change can create a massive difference in somepony's life.

Somewhere in a different world, Twilight Sparkle is thrust into an unforeseen destiny with the most unlikely (and possibly unstable) group of friends to fight the forces of darkness and bring the magic of friendship back to Equestria.

That's if they don't kill each other first.

Inspired by Lets Do This’ “Not Exactly Friends” series

Cover art done by Kids-In-The-Corner

Check out the rest of the series here:

Part 2: Pony Tails

Spike is tired. He's been awake for over a thousand years and now it is finally his turn to sleep, once he is tucked in by Twilight, one last time that is.

Following her tragic death by yet another villain of the week, Twilight Sparkle finds herself facing something all alicorns eventually uncover.

The continue screen.

[Spoliers for What Lies Beneath]
Cozy Glow DID have a plan in the works. It was simple and it was easy. All she had to do was get it in every creature's minds that their friendship wasn't natural. A fight would occur, she would lead them all to the Tree, and then they could fix all her problems without her having to raise a hoof! With an excuse at the end~!

That was the plan, but Cozy Glow had decided that instead of them finding the place themselves, she would take them to the grate in person. In the end, she accidentally got herself wrapped up into the dark roots below that waited to see what her fears were... and if she could face them.

For more of the story:
Cozy's Dilemma

Horizon lays beaten and ultimately held in a cell beneath Canterlot Castle. Left with three days before trial, he finds self reflection when Pinkie Pie pays him an unexpected visit.