Prompt 2) What's in the box?
Title: Shake

Sweetie Belle stared intently at the glamorously wrapped package. The paper itself burst with bright colors that managed to brighten up the room as if a lit light bulb hid under the perfect covering while a beautiful bow bounced merrily atop the gift box. A small tag rested right next to that crimson bow, and in flawless cursive script the words "To Sweetie Belle" were written with a flourish that somehow just worked. If only she could get an idea as to what was inside...

The Next Day

Sweetie Belle slumped deeply under the piercing gaze of her big sister. "I just wanted an idea of what I was getting for my birthday. I don't know what happened!" Her pleading eyes reached up into Rarity's. Suddenly, those eyes glaring daggers softened into pillows.

"You know, Sweetie Belle, I guess that just means that you shouldn't try to use your magic to shake a box and find out what's inside." Rarity worked her best to stifle a giggle at her own little secret. "Like I'm sure you and your mane found out, the results can be a little... explosive. How about I just get you another of what was inside. This time, though, don't shake it!"

Sweetie Belle's face lit up brighter than the sun for a very brief moment. "Oh, thankyouthankyou big sis!" She leaped up and wrapped her hooves around Rarity in a very warm and tight hug.

Rarity smiled deviously to herself and returned the embrace. "It's no issue, Sweetie." She then winked out the window at Twilight Sparkle, indicating that the plan had been a major success.

Twilight started walking away, her dragon Spike in tow. "So, Twilight, what did you do?"

She snickered. "Oh, just helped Rarity out with a little bit of nitroglycerin. Barely any, but enough."

Spike stopped in his tracks. "Nitro-what?"

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Prompt 3) One of the Main Six wanders around the old castle
Title: Brick and Mortar

The brick and mortar is what I see
Staring unnervingly back at me

I can see time laced within the stones
I feel it boring straight to my bones

Windows are cracked and shattered
And the royal flags are torn and tattered

This place feels at war
Right down to its very core

This place was home to queens kings
Now it's home to wretched things

This place was left to crumble and rot
I came here to see what others cannot

Things still live here in the masonry
hiding under cracked and broken debris

I can feel I'm not alone in this place
But what's here will not show its face

Spirits of the dead long past
Waiting to move on at long last

I walk through these empty halls
Following the voice that calls

They dance around my sight,
And when there is no light,
They whisper into my ear,
“Twilight”

Prompt 5) “You wake up on a cozy couch in a dark room with a splitting hangover. There’s a lit fireplace and a Christmas tree in front of you. You feel something waggling against your wing and can't remembering anything. Find out what happened last night.”

Three Notes

…
Urgh, what a headache. What the hell happened last night? I couldn't remember anything.

Opening my eyes did nothing to answer my questions, in fact it only added to my disorientation.

What? I'm sure I've never been in this room before. It looks quite cozy, though, with the fire spitting and the lit candles on the fir tree in the corner. But... what is that touching my wing? It's like someone's breath...

Looking around, I saw someone had cuddled up to me, using my wing as a pillow. I couldn't help but smile, it looked to silly, and yet adorable at the same time.

I decided to get up from the couch I must have slept on, to get some hints on where I am, how I got here, and what happened last night, before my … friend? Significant other? … would wake up. I couldn't even remember her name, and not knowing the name of your sweetheart would probably get me in trouble...

Then I spotted a note on the floor.

“You are confused, don't know what happened last night. Don't worry, you'll remember soon. Look at the dinner table.”

What was that supposed to mean?

My confusion was soon replaced with curiosity though, and so I walked up to the mentioned piece of furniture and inspected it. There were two plates on it, with some remnats of pizza on it. A bottle of wine had been opened. Apparently I had eaten here, together with her.

Next to an empty glass was another note.

“The food was delicious. Thanks a lot. We had so much fun together that night. There, in front of the fireplace we laid and talked the whole night. Just look at it.”

That sounded... great? I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this. Was that really directed at me? Nevertheless, I decided to take a look at the chimney and see if it helped me remember a bit more. A vague recollection of yesterday's evening was already starting to form in my mind, and I was determined to investigate further.

Not entirely unexpected, I found yet another note next to the pile of firewood.

“This here is the place where we shared our deepest thoughts and feelings. Where we realized we could trust each other. We were so glad to be able to spend this special evening together, and expressed our thoughtfulness with a small gift under the festively decorated tree.”

This was getting really sappy. I would have laughed, but instead I just stared at the note in disbelief. The heck had I hooked up with? Ah well, it's the thought that counts, besides it's kind of cute... isn't it?
Looking for the presents mentioned in the note, I found one with my own name, still unopened, and one with a somehow familiar name.

Night Star

That had to be her name. I remember putting the present, deeply blushing, under the tree. With that, all other memories flooded back in. The dinner, the fireplace, cuddling up on the couch... Yet I still couldn't remember much of her.

“Merry Christmas, Red Feather”

I stared at her. Or rather him, as he was definitely a male with long hair. What a surprise. I didn't care and gave him a kiss. A kiss of friendship.

Prompt 2) What’s in the box?
Title: Specially For You

Twilight Sparkle stared down at the box in front of her, her expression pensive. Beside her, Spike sighed in frustration.

“For the love of Celestia, Twilight, it’s a Hearth’s Warming gift! You’re allowed to open it!”

He was ignored by the lavender unicorn, who continued to study the package in front of her. The box was the same shade of purple as her coat was, and the bow tying the lid on was the same color as the pink stripe in her mane. The tag of the gift was in the shape of her cutie mark, and written on the back of it in sloppy green handwriting were the words:

To Twilight- Specially For You!
Your Little Brother, Spike

“Well?” said her little brother, Spike. “Are you gonna open it?”

She nodded, but made no movement to open the box.

“Hurry up, Twi! Rarity’s waiting for me at the Boutique, and I’m not gonna be late for my Hearth’s Warming date because my sister’s afraid of boxes that look like her.”

Twilight stuck her tongue out at the drake, and then returned her attention to the gift. Her reason for not opening it right away was trivial: a game she used to play when she was young, where she would try to deduce what her gifts were without opening them. If somepony were to ask her why she would do that, she’d simply tell that somepony that it was just a little game.

Taking her turn, Twilight rubbed her chin, and began to talk, partly to herself and partly to Spike:

“Let’s see: the box is medium-sized and heavy, so that scratches out anything from the jewelry and clothing categories; when I shake it, it doesn't jingle, or clink, or bounce around, canceling out any loose items. The only sound I can hear is a small sliding noise whenever I change the orientation of the box, so I can infer that whatever it is, it fills the box, making its shape that of a brick. So, in conclusion, what’s in this box is a large, heavy, brick-shaped item that should be special to me, as your note said.”

Spike clapped loudly and sarcastically.

“Brilliant work, Sherclop, you've found me out. I wanted to get you something nice for Hearth’s Warming. Now, open it, and let me go see my marefriend!”

Twilight shook her head.

“But what could it be, Spike? A case for my quill collection? A potion-making kit? Another box?”

Now Spike lost his temper. He slammed his claws down on the oak table they were sitting at, smoke billowing from his nostrils, and yelled, “Would you like me to tell you what it is, or will you just open the stupid box?”

Twilight considered her options for a minute and shrugged.

“I guess I’ll just open it, if you’re going to be that way.”

She ignored the twitch in Spike’s eye, and turned once more to the gift. Slowly, she unraveled the bow with her magic, and let it fall to the floor as she stared into the depths of the box. Sitting inside was a large, gray volume with a title embossed in large, golden letters:

The Daring Do Treasury

Spike’s smirk was uncanny.

“It’s a book. Duh.”

Prompt 2) What’s in the box?
Title: At Peace

A snowstorm was raging as Sweetie Belle sat near a fire on her haunches. She had grown a lot over the years, into a fine mare that bore a shocking resembelence to Rarity aside from mane color. Turning to the window, she sniffled a bit as if she were mourning a lost one.

“Sweetie Belle, I made you some coco.” said a gentle voice, a pink elderly Unicorn mare entered the room. It was her mother, who upon looking at her daughter gave her a sympathetic smile. Sweetie Belle wiped the tears from her eyes with her hooves as she turned back to her mother.

“Sweetie, it’s alright to cry. We all miss her, a lot more than you think.” the pink mare said, quickly using her magic to levitate the coco to her daughter. The fire from the fireplace grew slightly as a white stallion entered the room. He slowly approached Sweetiebelle, placing one hoof upon her back.

“It’s just not the same without her.” Sweetie Belle cried, tears rolling down her cheeks as she sipped the hot beverage. After a few more sips she used her magic to place the coco atop the fireplace mantle, the three embraced each other as the storm outside started to pick up.

“I know we’ve already opened all of the gifts but we have a surprise. A hooded white colt dropped a package off a few days ago. It was present from Rarity… for you, he said that she had sent it in to be delivered four months ago.” her father said, turning his attention to the pink Unicorn. Sweetie Belle looked at the oddly packed parcel as her mother used her magic to levitate it from the next room.

“I don’t think I shou-...” Sweetie Belle started to say, looking to her parents with a look of uncertainty.

“Open it, its alright.” said the elderly white stallion looking to his wife, both their eyes now glazed with tears. Sweetie Belle used her magic to tear the wrapping and open the present. All three of them looked at the dark void of the box as Sweetie Belle levitated a golden necklace to eye level. She closed her eyes as she reached out, using her hooves to grab the necklace. She quickly opened it, her pupils scanning the short message on one side of the opened pendant. As she read it she looked to her parents with a look of joy, although she continued to cry.

“I love you too big sis…” she said closing her eyes while she embraced the necklace, rocking it in her arms. Her parents embraced her one last time as the necklace hung open revealing a picture of Rarity nestling her head against Sweetie Belle, who was only just a foal at the time it was taken.

Prompt 2) What’s in the box?
Title: Happy Hearth Warming from the Princess of Love

“So, Tia, what do you think is in the box?” Princess Luna prodded the heavyset steel box.

The box sat in the throne room, it being several times larger than the two princesses combined. Multiple chains wrapped around and covered just about every inch of it, with hints of black paint peeking through the cracks. It was topped with numerous golden heavy duty padlocks.

Princess Celestia levitated an enormous paper tag that was attached to the box via a thick twine and read:

To Aunties Celestia and Luna:

Happy Hearth Warming! A little gift from your niece.

Cadance

“Huh, a little gift from our dear niece?” Luna tapped a hoof on her chin. “She requires a better gauge in sizing, sister.”

Celestia smiled into the paper tag. “It’s a figure of speech, Lulu. Cadance does not mean it literally.”

Luna gave another tap on her chin. “Hmm, I see… Let us not tarry then.” Her horn lit in a midnight blue glow.

It was soon joined by the bright yellow glow of Celestia’s magic. Padlocks began to unlock themselves and fell to the floor of the throne room. As the final padlock broke and fell, the black metal walls broke open in an enormous flood of Styrofoam peanuts, inundating the two alicorn princesses.

When they broke free of the surface of the Styrofoam, Luna blurted out: “What in the hay was that!?”

“Packaging, Lulu…” Celestia’s eyes narrowed at the content of the exposed box.

It was another box. Wrapped in chains and padlocked. The two sisters sighed.

Ten minutes later, they had gone through smothering bubble wraps, packing Styrofoam swarm, sentient wood shavings and… quick-saw dust.

“Who the hay devised such a heinous packaging!?” Luna blurted out again, after she broke the surface of said saw dust.

“I will have a talk with the Royal Delivery Service tomorrow, Lulu.” An annoyed expression hung on Celestia’s face.

Banishing the somehow dangerous packaging into the ether, the two princesses now stared at a crate just large enough to hold a grown stallion. It was gift wrapped and was, in fact, topped with a rather nice red ribbon.

Luna turned to her sister. “Say, what do you think the present is, Tia?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “From the size of it, it’s probably a statue.”

Luna tapped her chin yet again. “I concur with your assessment, sister.”

A smile appeared on Celestia’s muzzle. “Well, let’s not waste time, then.” Her horn lit in a bright yellow glow.

It was joined by the midnight blue glow of Luna’s magic. The wrapping tore apart in large pieces, wrapped in either blue or yellow glow and thrown haphazardly behind the two alicorns. A wooden crate sat beneath the wrappings.

Presently, both sisters tapped a hoof on their chin. “Hmm…”

The crate suddenly burst apart in spray of wood splinters. “HAPPY HEARTH WARMING, CAD—“

Shining Armor stared at the two slack jawed princesses. His face suddenly felt very, very warm. It was a very long while before Luna burst out laughing.

“Pfft… Nice ribbon, Prince Shining Armor!”

High up in the castle spire of the Crystal Empire, a confused Princess Cadance stared at the unwrapped Royal Guard statue in her bedchambers.

“Oh dear…”

(538 Words)

Prompt: 3) One of the main six is wandering around the old Castle NEW
With a tip of the hat to J.G. Ballard
Reports on an abandoned castle

Dear Princess Celestia.

We found an abandoned Castle deep in the Everfree Forest and we sent Rainbow Dash out to investigate. She should be back later this evening with more information.

Estimated size of the castle: 234 square meters

* * *

Dear Princess Celestia.

It's midnight and Rainbow Dash still haven't returned, I guess the castle was slightly larger than we anticipated.

Estimated size of the castle: 2546 square meters

* * *

Dear Princess Celestia.

I'm currently writing from inside the castle. We where all concerned when Rainbow didn't return and we decided to go look for her together. I had made a careful map of the castle, based on what data I could gather from the outside, but we managed to get beyond the edge of the map almost immediately. I don't get it, I was very thorough when I drew the map, I shouldn't have missed such a large section of the castle.

Estimated size of the castle:: 16 447 square meters

* * *

Dear Princess Celestia.

Still no sign of Rainbow Dash, and also, no sign of the exit. Rarity decided to split up with us, said we had a better chance of finding Rainbow if we searched in different areas. I suspect that her true motivation is to look for some princess's abandoned dress closet, but her strategy is sound. After all, this castle can't be infinitely large.

* * *

Dear Princess Celestia.

I can swear I never saw this segment of the castle from the outside! This place seriously seem to be bigger on the inside than the outside, remind me never to scoff at Doctor Whooves again. I'm beginning to get worried about Fluttershy, this dreary atmosphere isn't good for her nerves.

Estimated size of the castle: 27 890 square meters

* * *

Dear Princess Celestia.

Fluttershy is gone! And Applejack too. Based on what I found, this happened: Fluttershy awoke in the middle of the night with a panic attack and in desperation took AJs lasso and ran off with the intent of killing herself. AJ noticed her and ran to try and stop her. I sincerely hope she manages to calm Fluttershy down. I'm getting a little jumpy myself and Pinkie Pie's wild theories does not help matters.

Estimated size of the castle: 459 041 square meters

* * *

I finally get it now, Celly. Of course we can never leave the castle, because there's no outside! And what I thought was my friends were only shadows on the walls. You don't believe me? I shall prove it! The shadow of Pinkie Pie is sleeping next to me. I bet you gold against gravel that if I where to push my horn into her throat she'll just disappear, like she never even existed in the first place.

Estimated size of the castle:

* * *

Dear Princess Celestia.

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! For what it's worth, I am sorry. Pinkie is badly hurt but won't let me touch her with a healing spell. I don't know what's real any more. Tomorrow, will Pinkie Pie be gone like the rest, or will I be the one that's gone?

Estimated size of the castle: 22 square meters

Prompt 3) One of the mane six wanders around the old castle.
Title: Remains of the Night

Massive, expertly-crafted blocks of stone towered menacingly on all sides, reaching high enough to disappear into the ceiling's shadows. Windows that had been shattered ages ago lost none of their imposing qualities to time, as they now stood like sentinels.

Emerging from the corridors into a vast throne room, Spike gazed about it in wonder. Then he spotted the reason for his trip and hurried across the huge area to the spot at which Nightmare Moon had once been defeated by the Elements of Harmony. In the wake of that fateful night, all had departed from the castle with little thought to what remained there. But Spike had some ideas regarding what they had left behind. Before him was the discarded armor the villain herself had worn, forgotten by everypony else. Tentatively, he picked up the helmet.

A smile brightened his face when he felt the power that was still in it. It vibrated through the cold blue metal and tingled his scales. Spike had little to no reservations about what he did next. Raising the artifact high, he placed it on his head.

Dark magic surged through his veins and gripped his body. He felt his strength and his size expanding like never before, even when his hoarding instincts had taken over; this was a size increase brought on by sheer, unimaginable power. The world shrank around him to the point that his giant head smashed through the ceiling. Even if the helmet hadn't grown with his head, the rocks would have done no damage to the dragon he now was. Heavy stones and shingles bounced harmlessly off his armor-like scales. He punched the rest of the way through the castle's roof and unleashed a mighty roar that silenced every creature in the Everfree. Returning his attention to the body of the castle, he set to work.

Walls fell beneath his fists and tail as though they were building blocks. This castle, a massive structure that had stood longer than a millennium, could not resist the blows of a mighty dragon such as him. The small pieces that the castle was reduced to crashed and crumbled against one another in a devastating rock slide. Soon, the entire thing was a heap of rocks, unrecognizable as the home of two celestial deities.

Spike crouched in the center of the destruction he'd created, eyes gleaming with relish, having lost no energy. After finishing the scan the destruction that had been wrought, those eyes fixed on Ponyville in the distance. He grinned and said in a voice that rumbled like thunder, “Time I made my way home.”

Then he reached up and plucked the helmet off. “After I get ridda this thing.” The dark magic vanished, causing him to pop back to his original size. He landed in the empty stone courtyard with a plop.

Taking a moment to look admiringly upon the helmet, he tossed it over his shoulder and casually strolled away through the scene of destruction. “Welp, that was fun.”

Additional Note: Spike is part of the mane six.

Prompt 2) What's in the box?
Title: Prankception

“Hurry, Twilight! You have to come see this!”

Spike dragged the unicorn into the library’s main atrium. He halted her and pointed his claw to an object in the middle of the room. “There it is!” he exclaimed. “It just appeared out of nowhere!”

“Take it easy, Spike,” Twilight said. “It hasn’t set the library on fire or anything.” She set her cup of tea down on the ground, and cautiously stepped forward to get a closer look. After rubbing her hoof on her chin in thought, she instructed, “Fetch me my magnifying glass, tape measure, protractor, and… the surgical specimen examination pliers.”

Seeing her assistant’s perplexed look, she amended, “The tweezers.”

He nodded and bolted to her study. Upon returning, he emptied his armful of tools. Twilight selected the tape first.

“Hmm… Shape: rectangular prism,” she observed, and started to take measurements. “…Three feet and five eighths inches long; two feet wide; two feet, seven and three eighths inches deep. Approximate total volume of… sixteen square feet.” She glanced at her assistant. “I hope you’re getting all of this, Spike.”

Startled, he pulled out a scroll and scribbled frantically. “Leave a space for its mass,” she added. “We’ll record that when I’m sure it’s safe to handle.”

A magnifying glass levitated out in front of her, close to the object. “The surface is a uniform colour, and looks to be of a copper – borderline ochre – shade of brown. I’ll have to run some tests with the spectrophotometer to be sure. Make a note of that.”

Although Spike had trouble with the word “spectrophotometer,” he didn’t bother trying to write it down. Instead, he scribbled some more while stifling a giggle.

She leaned in closer to one of the edges, inspecting an instance of fraying. “Judging by the fibres, the material could be paper, or a close relative… maybe cardboard? Yes, I think it is. I can see corrugations. Spike, can you get my hacksaw, please?”

“Ha- Hacksaw?” Spike repeated. “But, wh- what for?”

“I need to take some cross-sections to determine the degree, and therefore the coefficient, of corrugation. How else can I dissect it?”

“Dissect?!” the object shouted. A rainbow-coloured streak shot out of it, and ended on the ceiling.

Twilight giggled. “You know, Rainbow Dash, if you want to pull a prank on me, you’ll have to get more creative than that,” she advised as her pegasus friend sheepishly drifted back down to Earth.

She took a triumphant sip of her tea. Something in her mouth wiggled around, and she spat it back out immediately. She shrieked as she saw a pair of tadpoles swimming in her drink. “Ew ew ew ew ew ew!” she said as she brushed her tongue off with her hooves.

Rainbow and Spike burst out laughing. “You know, Twilight Sparkle,” Rainbow Dash snickered, “if you want to outsmart me, you’ll have to keep up!”

Prompt 2) What's in the box?
Title: Surprise

[/hr]

It was a box.

A plain cardboard box, it was indistinguishable from any of its thousands of siblings. Simple, brown, and cuboid, it looked perfectly suited to fulfill its life’s purpose: storage. It held all the best characteristics one looked for in a shipping receptacle. No ink marred its paper flesh and no stains soiled its outer shell. It was as nondescript as its countless clones, with nary a mark against it. Indeed, Luna was certain that the box, with its durable construction and firm lines, was well prepared for a lifetime of selfless storage duty.

Or more accurately, it would have been destined for a life of anonymous toil serving its purpose, but no longer. It was not just a box any more. The long length of tape across the top effectively locked its contents – if any – behind walls of featureless paper. What normally would have been a simple storage container was transformed into an unspoken question that hung in the air; an itch that could not be scratched without an answer.

Curiosity was a natural reaction. Everypony wants to know what is behind a closed door, locked away in a drawer, or hidden beneath a curtain. They were questions that demanded to be answered by right of their mere existence. While an open box was a functional tool, this anonymous paper cube had transcended its original purpose. It was no longer a box; it was a mystery.

On the other hoof, there were plenty of other cardboard boxes in Equestria. This one, even with its tape, was nothing special in and of itself. Luna had seen millions of them in her long life, and one more would normally not warrant but the most fleeting moment of distracted attention. Even a mystery needed something more to fill the breast of an observer with questions and wonder.

That spark came from its location, for it was sitting before Luna’s bed.

Luna slowly circled the cardboard box again. There was nothing to hint at its contents. No handles to peek through, no tag to catch the eye, not even a maker’s logo. The box was inscrutable and silent.

The only sound was the steady clip-clop of her hooves on the stone floor as she circled her nemesis. Luna had lost track of how many times she had circled the object, her great mind obsessed with the mystery before her. The answers could be hers so easily, yet she hesitated.

After all, obtaining the answer would kill the mystery. The box had become more than a container; the question was a part of its very being now. To destroy that was to destroy an essential part of the box. Did it possess the-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a muffled shriek of frustration from outside. Luna turned as Celestia threw the doors open with a powerful burst of magic. “It’s a cake! I put a cake in the box! It was an early birthday surprise! And I’ve been watching you just walk around it for the past hour! Sometimes a box is just a box!”

With an exasperated groan Celestia turned and stormed out, muttering something about ‘moon-addled foals’ under her breath.

“Oh,” Luna said eventually. She frowned at the box, mildly annoyed. “Well, way to ruin the surprise, Celestia.”

Prompt 4)Pinkie Pie discovers it's Opposite Day.
Title:Way out of line

Mayor Mare stood in disbelief on the town hall stage as everypony walked excitedly back to their homes in the pitch black morning sky. Everypony that is, except for a certain frizzy pink- maned mare that was normally part of every social event, but Rainbow Dash and Mayor Mare made sure that this extremely planned out prank went completely secret from the bubblegum mare. A prank. Was Mayor Mare actually pulling a prank? She mulled the ridiculous notion over in her head as she sauntered back to her house.

Rays of light tickled Pinkie's nose, the only part of her not covered in blankets or a sleeping mask, spreading a warm smile across the mare's face. She giggled and rubbed her muzzle, then sprang out of bed. Trotting downstairs, she was hit with an unfamiliar smell. Smoke rose from the lobby of Sugar Cube corner, emanating from what seemed to be a huge... steak! Seeing Pinkie Pie's bewildered expression, Mr. Cake greeted her with a smile.
"Good Night, Pinkie Pie! Would you like some NON-vegetarian, NON-dessert?"
Pinkie stared quizzically at the goofy stallion, then responded with her usual coping method- laughter. That is until, she witnessed Mrs.Cake walking around the corner wearing nothing but an oversized diaper. That's when poor Pinkie's stomach decided it had had enough, and the pink mare raced outside, traumatized. Only to run right into a Stetson-wearing Rainbow Dash.
"Well, howdy, Pinkie!" The cyan Pegasus said, trying her best to imitate a southern accent.
"What is going ON HERE?!" Pinkie Pie yelled.
Rainbow did her best at keeping a straight face, but fell on the ground in a fit of laughter. Pinkie's eye twitched, and she ran to the town's library to get some answers, but what she found inside was a mess of books all over the floor topped with a messy-maned Twilight Sparkle.
"Well, hi there, Pinkamena," she said. "Happy Opposite Day!"
"Quite!" Said a pipe-smoking, mustache-sporting, monacle-wearing baby dragon. "A very happy Opposite Day indeed."

Length: 541 words
Prompts:
2) What's in the box?
5) You wake up on a cozy couch in a dark room with a splitting hangover. There's a lit fireplace and a Christmas tree in front of you. You feel something waggling against your wing and can't remembering anything. Find out what happened last night.
Title: Haunting Clarity

"Zzzzz....mmmm... stop poking... mah wings.. zzzzz... *slam*"... Owww, oh, hello floor! Fancy meeting you here. Okay, better get back to wo-- wait, I know this floor. It's my floor. Which means I'm not in the office anymore. How the hay did I end up home? Last thing I remember, I was cracking some really obscure code again. By hoof. In the last seven days. Non-stop. Either I finally fainted and sleep-flew home, or someone else brought me and... tucked me in?

Better turn on the lights and... *click* OH GOD *click*... my eyes. Let's not do that again.
I wonder if the doors are locked. Yep, tight as a crypt. Smells like one too. So it either means I came by myself and was able to handle the locking, or whoever brought me still has my keys with them. Or... they're still inside. Waiting in the dark.

Well, I've swept through all the other rooms, and not a breathing thing in here, save the fella in this here mirror. Damn, I really should sleep more, my face looks all flat and has writings on it. Wait a minute... Yep, it's a sticky-note.

"I had to come to the office for you, after I got mail which you most likely face-typed again. Don't forget to open your present; unless you want to disappoint me even further. Happy Holidays.

- You Know Who"

Now this I gotta see. Two years ago she got me sleeping pills. Then we fell behind deadline, and it took its toll on the whole city. Blasted war. So last year she bought me months worth of coffee. I drank it all up in weeks. I bet it's gonna be one of them pillow hats this time.
Hm, it's pretty small, not exactly big enough for a pillow hat. Maybe it's that invisible ink stuff, for little foals. I think either of us could mix up something far more secure than that, or heck, just do proper encryption.

Well, I didn't expect anything like this. What would I use a flashlight for? Especially one that is so dim. And why does it have violet light?
Neat toy, though. After all, I'm the last pony who looks a gift horse in the... the heck was that. I only saw it under the coloured light. A key. My key. In the box. The box that was wrapped up and sealed off. I only have one spare key, and my main one is right here on my keyring.

Either it's someone else who had left this gift, or she's still here. But, the place is empty, I checked! Okay, let's try to think backwards, what happened this week... cracking code... buying coffee... repeated bombings... head hurts... Oh no, no, I've worked so hard to supress this!

Okay, let's think about something else, real quick. Neat toy, neat toy. Doubles as a real flashlight. If I point it on the walls, words appear. Words everywhere. Around and around. So many words! Four letters all over. About her. Starts and ends with D. Neat toy, so many words, haha! Arrows too. Pointing. Pointing at the couch.

Oh my god. She was there all along. I was sleeping with her corpse.

She's looking at me.

Prompt 3) One of the main six is wandering around the old Castle
Title: Rainbow's Daring Adventure

As Rainbow Dash entered the castle, she could feel her heart burn with excitement. She was finally going on an adventure, like her hero, Daring Do. The entrance doors creaked loudly as she opened them slowly. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and dust covered every single piece of furniture.

As she walked across the main corridor, her hoofsteps echoed loudly against the stone with each step.

“The Diamond Gryphon’s Egg must be hidden somewhere in this castle…but where would it be hidden?” Rainbow thought aloud.

The portrait of King Marious of Stables made a good candidate for Rainbow, as it was hung slanted on the wall. Rainbow looked behind the painting, but there was no hidden compartment.

“Hmm, where could it be?” she pondered.

“Have you tried pulling on the candlesticks?” a voice echoed along the walls.

Rainbow spun around, to see who had discovered her there.

“Daring Do? What are you doing here?” Rainbow asked, shocked at the sight of her hero in the flesh before her.

“Same reason you are, I'd wager,” Daring answered. “Shall we look for the egg together?”

“Ab-so-lutely!” Rainbow replied happily.

The two searched together throughout each and every room in the castle. They pulled on every candlestick handle, checked for switches or traps of any kind. Finally, Daring stopped at a bookshelf that stood out to her for some reason.

“Something about this bookshelf seems a bit off, wouldn’t you agree?”

Rainbow looked the bookshelf over twice. A single book seemed to be out of place. It was a large, bright red book, with no lettering along its spine. Rainbow tried to pull it out, but it was stuck. A latch behind the book had been triggered, and the entire bookshelf moved, revealing a secret passage behind it.

Together, Rainbow and Daring followed the passage down the secret staircase to the bottom. When the reached the end of the stairwell, they could see a glistening object at the end of a dark corridor.

They carefully made their way over to the pedestal where the egg lie in waiting. Daring nodded to Rainbow, who took the lead, and carefully removed the egg. No traps had been sprung.

They cheered and raised the egg in the air in celebration.

“Thank you for helping me Rainbow Dash,” Daring said, looking at the Pegasus, proudly. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”

“Well I –” Rainbow tried to get out, before her lips were interrupted by that of Daring Do’s pressed against hers. As they embraced each oth–

“Hey! What are you writing?” Twilight asked, curiously.

Rainbow snapped out of it, slamming her notebook shut.

“I uh…Nothing! Nothing! Just relaxing is all.”

“Relaxing, eh?” Twilight said, smirking. “You wouldn’t happen to be relaxing by imagining yourself and a certain adventure pony together, would you?”

“I-um…I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rainbow squeaked out in a high pitched voice.

“Mmm hmm. Maybe I should show you how to really relax,” Twilight said smirking evilly…

Prompt 2: What's in the box?
Twilight's Test

"Twilight?"

"Princess Celestia, I'm so, so sorry! I was up all last night reading and I overslept, so then I skipped breakfast so I would have time to get here, even though I know you told me I should never show up with an empty tummy, but then I had to walk extra slow on my way to the castle because a lot of snow fell last night and it was on the path and I didn't want to slip on the icy spots, but I was still trying to hurry, so please, please, please don't be angry with me!"

The filly stopped to let go of the breath she was holding, but then galloped up and curled up at the foot of the cushion Celestia sat on, sobbing profusely, and leaving Celestia terribly confused. "But, dearest Twilight, I don't understand what I should be upset about." Celestia summoned up her locket, popping it open and sparing it a glance while wrapping a wing around her young student. "Don't you know what time it is?"

With her huge purple eyes, Twilight stared guiltily up at Celestia. "Yes, Princess, it's half past eight, and you told me at the beginning of the month that I should still try to be prompt to class despite the weather-"

Celestia shushed her, and tussled her hair slightly, bringing a faint smile back to Twilight's face. "Sweetie, don't worry about being tardy. You and I both know you're a wonderful student who always tries her best." Celestia reached out with her magic to an object she had tucked away behind her cushion. "We can start this lesson early."

Twilight ran back to her desk quickly, and began to unpack her quills, ink pots, parchment, magic ink erasers, extra quills, and spare parchment, when Celestia gave an amused shake of her head. Twilight recognized the object Celestia floated over to her desk as a plain cardboard box. "Twilight, what do you think is inside this box?"

Well, she couldn't just open it and look inside. Gritting her teeth, she began to focus her energy into a spell that let her see through walls. It was a really hard spell, and she'd never actually tried it. The more she struggled to activate it, though, the more she felt she was disappointing Celestia again. All she needed was to get this spell right...

"Twilight, hold on a second." Twilight took her attention away from the box and turned back to Celestia. "All I wanted was for you to be creative and use your imagination, not try to actually figure it out." She scrunched her face, adding on, "It didn't appear to work like I intended."

"So...I failed?" Twilight's eyes grew watery again.

Celestia once again wrapped her wing around the upset filly. "No, dear, you didn't fail. We just have to learn to relax." She gave her student a tender smile, and warmly asked, "Why don't we finally get you some breakfast?" A little wingpoke to Twilight's belly elicited a giggle. Twilight began to ask something, but Celestia stopped her. "You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetie. You did your best."

With that, the young Twilight had just a little more bounce in her step on the way down to the royal kitchen.

(546 words)

Prompt 4) Pinkie discovers opposite day
Title: Pinkie's Off Day

“She’s been sitting there all day, Twilight. Every time we talk to her she keeps muttering something about how we aren’t the boss of her.” Cup Cake ushered Twilight Sparkle into the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner, turning her head to look at Pinkie Pie sitting at a table with her forehead on its surface.

“I’m sure it isn’t anything serious... I hope.” Twilight brought forth a manual detailing foods with psychological effects on consumption. Pinkie Pie wasn’t one for sitting around, and she definitely wasn’t one to sulk around.

Twilight gasped, and took a look at her pocket calendar. Had she forgotten Pinkie’s birthday? It would have been such a rude thing to do, to forget the birthday of one of her own friends!

“I’ll look into it, Mrs. Cake. Don’t worry! I’m sure Pinkie’s just having an off day, or something.” About as off as a pony can be, I hope. Twilight bundled her book back into her saddlebags as Mrs. Cake returned to the counter.

Pinkie didn’t bother lifting her head as Twilight approached her. The pink pony had been getting strange looks all day, but she knew it was out of concern rather than spite. Today was a very special day to her, one she had both looked forward to, and detested.

“Pinkie? Are you alright?” Twilight took a seat in front of her with a frown on her face. The unicorn had no idea what to expect today, especially from the queen of randomness.

“I’m not feeling fine at all,” Pinkie replied morosely.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Twilight couldn’t follow Pinkie’s thought process, but she remembered what had happened on Pinkie’s birthday. It was a start, at least.

“Nope. There’s nothing you can do to help me, at all.” Pinkie closed her eyes, and huffed. “There’s nothing anypony can do to help me today. Today is a most horrible day.”

“Why? What day is it today, Pinkie?” Twilight leaned on a hoof as Mrs. Cake filled the orders of several more ponies.

“Today is not opposite day.” Pinkie slouched back in her chair even more. “And today is definitely not a day I’m supposed to be working.”

“Oh... kay,” Twilight said hesitantly. “I don’t follow.”

“Don’t you get it, Twilight?!” Pinkie jumped onto the table, causing Twilight to sit upright to avoid the hooves. “Today is not opposite day! And I’m supposed to be working! Check your calendar thingy, it totally doesn’t say so!”

Twilight whipped out her pocket calendar again, and checked today’s date. Opposite day on the Equestrian calendar, Twilight pondered. Knowing Pinkie, she probably started since the minute today arrived, and had continued the entire day.

“So... you’re actually very happy, and today is your day off?” Twilight raised a brow as she asked.

“Nope!” Pinkie replied in a gruff manner.

“So that’s a yes, then.”

“Nooooope!” Pinkie grunted. She fell back into her chair with a grimace. “I hate today.”

Twilight sighed as she got out of her seat and went back to the counter, rolling her eyes at Mrs. Cake. “Pinkie’s fine, Mrs. Cake, but I think you should watch what you say. Opposite day is in effect.”

Prompt 2: What's in the box?
Title: And that's how Equestria was made The Boxit, an Unexpected spew of words from someone who spent more time trying to think of this title then writing the story

“So what is it?” Pinkie asked.

“It's a box, don't look in it though, it might be dangerous.” Twilight replied.

“Why not?”

“It might be dangerous.” Twilight said sternly.

“What's it do?

“I don't really know what it is.”

“Hey Twi, Pie, how's it hanging? Want's in that box?” Dash asked as she opened the box.

“NO!” Twilight shouted.

“Whatever, I'm out,” Dash said, and she flew off really fast and made a rainboom inside a rainboom, like a double rainboom, or a rainboomception.

“Wow, that was awesome, but too bad nobrony will ever see that.” Pinkie said, “Unless some fans make it!”

“Pinkie, your crazy!”

Rarity floated in by her horn, “MY HORN SAYS THERE ARE JOULES HERE!”

Pinkie laughed, “Silly Rarity, wrong joule!”

Rarity opened the box.

Tom jumped out lightning fast and said, “OH YEEEEEAAAAH!” Then Pinkie sang all the elements of 'I'm sexy and I know' it while Tom danced Gangnam Style. Discord appeared and shouted, “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY SEXY LADY!” then opened the box and became a magical fairy that eats rainbows and poops butterflies and can spread love and happiness with the snap of his fingers. He followed Lyra, who had seen the inside of box and because human and dressed like Link, and shouted, “Hey, Listen, Listen, Hey, Hey!” Then Lyra jumped on Bon Bon and rode off to fight Ganon or something.

Fluttershy opened the box while she was on a date with Time Turner and decided to go to the library. Fluttershy became Iron Will and Time Turner became the Doctor, and they hopped in a TARDIS and went back in time because Iorn Will/Fluttershy shouted, “Now I need to teach people Iron Will's ways!”

The Mane 6 character that I haven't used yet, but I don't remember who, they're the worst pony anyhow, came up and looked in the box and was erased from history forever; Equestrian made peace with the Changelings and the world was a better place.

The CMC looked in the box and they pulled out ballots. They checked Pedro. Then Scootaloo became a the Captain of the Fantasticbolts, a group made of both Wonder and Shadow bolts. Sweetie Belle became the most popular and talented singer ever, and Apple Bloom became Sweetie Belle saying, “What, ever'pony thought yall were cuter and I need the attention.”

Derpy looked into the box and became a muffin. That could fly. And eat more muffins that it shot from it's eyes.

Opal jumped in and hopped out fufilling every cat's dream, she was 500 feet tall and went and ate ponies, starting with Rarity.

Zecora looked in and two words were added to English that rhymed with Silver and Orange respectively. Also more words if more don't have rhymes.

Then Steven Colbert jumped out because I'm running out of ideas and said, “Tonight, I'm live from Equestria, and...” He said something Corbert would say.

Joe Stevinsiten from EI got his own Comidy Central Show.

Twilight sighed and looked in because I'm almost at the word limit. The Fus Ro Dah guy shouted and shoop the woop fired his laser.

I told Pinkie to look in, but she laughed, “Silly, didn't you read the other promts, I learned it's oppisite day, so I can't look in the box!”

THE

WORST

POSSIBLE

THING

ENDING!

Authors Note: If you like this comment on my page, if you can catch all the refrences then you are a winner

Prompt 3) One of the main six is wandering around the old Castle
Title) Laughter, Forever and Always

The petite tower shot out from the ground in a familiar dusty grey, its stone arms poised with absolute perfection to hold the weight of that which was no longer there, now replaced with five objects of much smaller size. The entire figure, decorations and all, was covered in a shaky layer of dust, one which could easily be swept away; this monument had been touched recently. Everything seemed to be perfect in its state, as if things had been set right... but yet...

There was something, a one incredibly important something, which was absent in the solid piece. Everything drooped and refused to breathe, the grey of everything was almost suffocating, only the newly added pieces shone with out of place color...

Everything was oddly... unhappy.

A vibrant mare, her creaking bones and ever greying mane never stopping her natural bounce, grinned wildly, trotting up to the stone monument with an odd- looking gift clenched between her newly acquired, false teeth. Jumping upwards with a strange amount of energy, she leaped to an empty spire jutting from the statue, placing the thing down in its great, rightful place, the ground shaking in confirmation.

The gift, now seen as a crystal set in a golden band, glowed brightly in what could only be known as happiness, the other similar bands circling it showing off their joy as well.

As the mare's legs began to tingle, ears twitching in warning of a grave future, her mouth continued to crinkle upwards, bouncing up and down in child-like excitement; she was going to see them again! She was going to have to throw a "You had to leave and then I had to leave and now I've found you again party"!

She didn't know her tingling limbs had stopped their shaking moments ago, disappearing in a pink cloud of dust.

Oh, oh! Or I can throw a "I missed you so very, very much and now we're together again party"!

Her body began to go next, muscles liquefying into a shimmering dust, sucking into the gift she had just offered not a moment ago.

Oh, I'm going to need streamers... a-and cake! Everypony loves cake!

A booming giggle rang out against the grey walls, smile never faltering, and then she was gone.

Though now... everything was oddly... happy.

Prompt: 4) Pinkie discovers opposite day.
Title: Formal presents are era stneserp lamroF

Pinkie bounces along, without any worries in her heart.

"Good day," Twilight says.

Pinkie does not speak; she pulls out a calendar and gestures to the current date.

"Great." Twilight rolls her eyes, anticipating exasperation. "It's opposite day."

"It's so great that you'll enjoy today, too! Er, no, it's terrible. I mean, terribly great. Waitwaitwait, I mean--"

"--greatly terrible?"

"That's the one!" Pinkie shouts, loud enough for Twilight to hear an echo.

Suddenly, Twilight's eyes light up, for she has remembered something vital. "Amythest Star!"

"Who was that pony again?"

Twilight rummages through her saddlebags. "I've got a present I need to give her." She produces a present, neatly wrapped.

"Look! There she comes!"

Indeed, Amythest Star arrives. She and Twilight strike up a conversation; it is pleasant, but of no importance. Pinkie mutters something about "opposite day gift," which prompts Twilight to give the aforementioned present. With a smile, Sparkler accepts the gift and heads to her original destination.

"And there she goes."

Pinkie puts a gift, clumsily packaged, in her mane. "I need to give her this present I've got." She fiddles with her mane.

"Now, which pony was that?"

"Sparkler?" Pinkie has the faint feeling that she's forgotten something important; her eyes lid.

Quietly, as if it were just an echo, Twilight whispers. "That's the one."

"--terribly great?"

"Wait, what? You mean greatly terrible. No, that's terrible. It's so great that you've enjoyed this day."

"It's opposite day!" Pinkie's eyes roll, projecting excitement. "Great!"

Twilight pulls out a planner and gestures to the current date, silently.

Pinkie says, "Good day."

With not a care in the world, Twilight skips along.

Prompt 2) What's in the box?
Title: Lyra Heartstings: Human Slayer

Thump.

Lyra's eyes shot open. She strained her ears to pick up the sound again, but all she could hear was Bon Bon's gentle snoring beside her.

Thump.

Something was on the roof, moving toward the living room.

Lyra silently rolled off the bed and reached underneath it, sliding out a long, thin package. She'd hoped she'd never have to use it, but she knew the time had come.

She opened it, taking out a seemingly ordinary baseball bat, and crept silently downstairs. The living room chimney came into view just in time to see a human covered in black armor crawling out.

"So, this is the legendary inter-dimensional hero herself!" it hissed as it rose. "I imagined the infamous Lyra Heartstrings would be more intimidating."

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage, Child of Seth." Lyra replied. "What brings you all the way from Babylon?"

"I am Methuselah the Wicked, crowned prince of Babylon," the human answered. "I have come to put an end to your meddling. I will bring your head to my father as a present, and my armies will turn your planet into an abattoir!"

Methuselah drew a jagged, black sword from his hip.

"Spirits of darkness, bless me with the power of evil that I may spill the blood of the innocent in your glorious names!" he roared.

Unholy flames burst to life along the blade of his sword, filling the room with the wailing of the damned and the heat of the Lake of Fire.

"You'll rue the day your people renounced the Creator, Methuselah!" Lyra snarled, standing tall raising her bat over her head. "Depart from me, ye cursed human, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!" she yelled.

Her bat suddenly blazed with a golden light as the weapon's holy power was unleashed. Lyra leapt over the couch with a savage war-cry, her weapon clashing against the human's. The conflicting energies created a massive explosion, throwing Lyra back over the couch and sending the human smashing into the TV.

"LYRA! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON DOWN THERE?!!"

Lyra whipped her head around.

Bon Bon was standing on the stairs, her eyes blazing with fury as she stared down at her partner. Lyra looked back at the wreckage of the TV, but the human was gone.

"Where did it go?! Did you see it?!" Lyra demanded.

"See what?" Bon Bon asked.

"There's a human on the loose!"

Bon Bon's eyes shifted, taking in the mess. The television and couch had been ruined by the explosion, scattering debris all over the room.

"Lyra, what have you done?!" she screamed. "You broke my beautiful Widescreen HDTV!"

"It wasn't me! It was the human! He came out of the chimney and attacked me! I had to defend myself with this holy baseball bat, blessed by the kiss of an angel to destroy the wicked humans of Babylon. Anyway, we have to find the human before it devours somepony!"

Bon Bon made Lyra sleep on the floor that night

5) You wake up on a cozy couch in a dark room with a splitting hangover. There’s a lit fireplace and a Christmas tree in front of you. You feel something waggling against your wing and can't remembering anything. Find out what happened last night.
Title: An Eve to Remember

Raisins.

Through a neon velvet haze, you wake to the soft smell of raisins.

You feel just like you're sleeping on a cloud, but there's a crackling, snapping fire in your ears. And you do not feel the cool wet winds of the sky.

Your brain is bruised and swelling, throbbing against a membrane pulled tight. Constricting, digging. Bright white flashes, for every breathe you take.

You open your eyes, but you do not see what's before you. Only muted shapes and colors, that swim in waves across your sight. And the more you try to focus, the more your skin crawls and your stomach churns. Until your throat lurches and your gullet pleads to expel the toxins you swallowed.

You roll to your side and cast open your beak, but all that comes forth is a cry of pain. Fire is burning inside your body. You scrunch your face and whimper like a kitten, as you feel the burning, itching line across your back and down your side.

You're praying to Celestia for the pain to end, but you're frightened and shivering. Little twitches that drive a flaming dagger even deeper into the wound in your body.

You try to move your hand to caress your side, but it isn't listening. It's stuck in place, bound tightly behind your wings.

You kick out with your hind paws, but they too are held fast against you. And the more you struggle, the more your side burns. The more your vision blurs with tears running down your face.

You sniffle and try to swallow the sobs.

You're trying to recall, but your mind just isn't working. Your head throbs, and nothing but confusion returns. You don't know where you are, and you can't remember anything.

Your breathe is quick and shallow. And you still keep smelling raisins. Sickly sweet raisins, clouding up your brain. Twisting your stomach; feeling nauseous.

You feel something move beside you, and now you are screaming. Lungs pumping panic. High pitched screeches, ringing off the walls.

You think you hear a commotion in another room, but you don't know for sure. You're too focused on the creature that's slithering beside you, wiggling against your wing as it pulls on bandages.

You're screaming and you're crying, and you're not stopping to breathe. No curses, no prayers, just guttural shrieks and wails.

A pair of hooves clamp down on your beak, and a wavy pink monstrosity looks you in the eyes.

"Be quiet, silly! If you keep that up, you're going to wake the whole town! And that would be super duper rude of you!"

Its voice is sharp and sweet. Familiar, but you can't quite place it.

"And Gummy, get away from there! That's icky!"

You feel the creature lift away from you, and you breathe a sigh of relief.

"But I'm really glad you're awake now, miss grumpy screamy complainy pants. I really didn't want to spend tonight alone."

"Wh-what do you want f-from me?" you ask with a voice that's more fragile than you have ever heard.

"Want? I just want to spend a very special Hearths Warming Eve with you, silly! Look!" The smell of raisins grows overwhelming. "I even baked you your very own griffin kidney pie!"

Prompt 4) Pinkie discovers opposite day
Title: A Holiday Worth Skipping

Pinkie was not having a good day. None of her friends would talk to her, nopony wanted to come to her parties, and no one would participate in her songs. She didn’t feel much like singing; really, she just needed some way to get out of the doldrums.

So distracted was she, that she put two cups of salt into her mixture, and only a pinch of sugar. When the time came to remove the baker’s dozen of cupcakes from the oven, her sample cupcake left her rushing to the filly’s room for a one-on-one session with the toilet. Salty pastries have their place, but that place isn’t a Pie’s mouth.

As she worked to dispose of her ruined batch, the pink pony was visited by her bosses, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Mr. Carrot Cake had a sorrowful look on his face as he addressed his employee. “I’m sorry Pinkie, but we’ve decided that you can’t watch our kids anymore.”

Pinkamena’s eyes went wide. “Why not? Haven’t I done a good job taking care of them? ”

Mrs. Cake put a hoof on the pastel mare’s shoulder. “Well, it’s just… We think that we should get better… Qualified foalsitters for when we go on our little dates.” The blue earth pony gave Pinkie a reassuring pat on the back. “It’s not the kids, dear, it’s you.”

The wielder of the element of laughter couldn’t stop the stream of tears that poured down her face. “But… Who’s more qualif-”

She was interrupted by the back door to the bakery bursting open, a female griffon strutting though. Gilda carried the twins, Pumpkin and Pound, on her back. She sneered at the pony of pinkish persuasion. “’Sup, dweeb?”

The two baby ponies on her back thought this was hilarious. “Dweeb! Pinkie Dweeb!”

She couldn’t take it anymore. Pinkie ran out the back door as fast as her four legs would carry her. Before long, she came upon the library. It was always a good, quiet place to do some heavy thinking.

As Miss Diane Pie trotted into the library, she was greeted by a lavender unicorn librarian. Twilight Sparkle looked up from her books and addressed her long-time friend. “Hey, Pinkie!” One double-take later, Twilight registered the sour look on the bubbly pony’s face. “Hey, what’s got you so down?”

“This day has felt so backwards, nothing goes right.” Pinkie sat in a chair and sulked.

“Oh, that kinda makes sense, seeing as how it’s Opposite Day.” Twilight marked off a nearby calendar with a red marker. “Though, usually ponies just celebrate it by talking backwards.” The unicorn shrugged. “Fate’s funny that way.”

Pinkie looked up from her moodiness. “Wait, only talking is supposed to be backwards today?”

Twilight was about to reply when she was interrupted by a gigantic Pinkie-sized hug. “Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place!?”

Pinkie rushed out of the library to the sound of birds singing, ponies dancing, and the hustle-bustle of downtown Ponyville. She reached the bakery and munched on the remains of her test cupcake. “It’s perfect!”

Mr. and Mrs. Cake once again came down the stairs, this time with the twins in hoof. “Pinkie, could you watch the twins tonight?”

Pinkie grinned. “Nope!” After a moment, she added, “’Cuz it’s Opposite Day!”

Prompt 5) You wake up on a cozy couch in a dark room with a splitting hangover. There’s a lit fireplace and a Christmas tree in front of you. You feel something waggling against your wing and can't remembering anything. Find out what happened last night.
Title- A Day Without Grace

Rainbow Dash sat upon the brilliant white cloud, feeling the wind blast through her mane. Beside the colourful mare was a young filly, who copied the same pose as the pony sitting beside her.

"Hey Dash?" The young filly asked, her dark hair covering her eyes as the wind blew.

"Yea kid?" She answered, keeping her eyes on the setting horizon.

"What are we doing for Hearth's Warming Eve?"

The blue Pegasus grinned and looked down at the filly. "Were gonna meet up with some old pals of mine. It'll be a blast."

She stood up, stretching her wings as she positioned into a crouch. "In fact, I think it's time we left."

Beaming happily, the orange filly jumped upward, landing on the older Pegasus's back. Folding her wings, she hooked her hooves around Rainbow Dash's neck and let her eyes close, listening to the gentle thrashing of wings. Losing track of time the filly soon noticed they had landed, opening her eyes to see a small cloud house sitting in front of them.

Hopping of her Rainbow's back, the filly followed the older mare to the door, for which she rapped the door loudly and waited. Staying still for a few quick moments, the door soon opened, revealing a light blue stallion, who expanded his wings in greeting.

"Rainbow Dash!" He called, shaking her hoof as they entered the building. "So great to see you."

"You too, Lightflash."

"And who might this darling be?"

All eyes turned toward the nervous filly, who shrunk down at the fact of being the center of attention.

"Her name's Scootaloo." Rainbow Dash quickly responded, stepping in front of the filly.

"Cute name." Lightflash smiled, glancing at the Pegasus. Turning back to Rainbow, he questioned, " How are you related? Sister? Cousin? Daught-"

"Adopted." Rainbow quickly cut him off. "Sorta."

As the two headed off, Scootaloo straightened up, and slowly took a seat on the nearby couch.

The night passed slowly. Passing time, she stared at the flames in the fireplace, gazing with wonder.

At last, Rainbow Dash emerged from the other room, waving to the filly.

"Come on!" She hollered, and Scootaloo popped off the couch, galloping into the next room.

In the room, ponies danced, some holding cups with strange smelling liquid splashing out, while other fell to the floor in a pile. Slowly backing from the room, Scootaloo was stopped as the door slammed closed.

There was no way out.

Trying her best to stay unnoticed, the orange filly slunk to the far corner.

Time passed slowly.

Mares and stallions soon began to leave the room, never returning.

As the party drew to a close, Rainbow Dash wobbled over to Scootaloo. Without hesitation, the blue Pegasus slunk to the floor in a pile. She hated this. She hated Rainbow like this. But what could she do?

Slowly trotting to the heap of blue, Scootaloo curled up beside the Pegasus and shut her eyes to sleep.

Hearing a thunk a few moments later, it was followed by an unpleasant " Happy Hearth's Warming Eve."

Length: 544 words
Prompts:
2) What’s in the box?
3) One of the main six is wandering around the old Castle
Title: Of Fate and Destiny

---

Twenty seven missed hours of sleep, a couple of scrapes, a sprained fetlock, and two white lies had finally paid off. She still felt bad about the white lies, but if she had told anypony why she wanted to go searching around the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Canterlot Sisters they would have put her in a rubber room. It also necessitated restricting her efforts to after nightfall when most ponies wouldn’t miss her. None of that mattered now.

She had found it.

Twilight pulled out her copy (well, the library’s copy) of “Royal Archeological Expeditionary Reports , Vol XXIII” and flipped to page 437. A quick scan by hornlight brought her to the passage that started her search.

“…found a door that is built with a user-specific horn lock, but the magic has long since been eroded by the forest and I was able to gain entrance. Inside is long room cut from the very stone foundation, illuminated by the sun through stain glass in the ceiling. Small stone caskets line the wall in shelves cut from the stone, each with an inscribed name and a lock like the one on the door. My colleges think that the room is a tomb. I disagree. Most of the caskets are opened and empty and none of the names match any historical record. Still, I admit the possibility and will not tamper with the remaining few unopened ones. On return, we shall search the greater Canterlot archives for the following names…”

The list included four names in old Equestrian that Twilight didn’t recognize, but the last had chilled her to the bone.

“Scintilla Crepusculum.”

Twilight Sparkle.

She had found her casket.

She put the book away. She had seen one of these locks in the castle, protecting the elements. They had to be built from a sample of the unicorn’s magic. On a strange hunch, she knelt, charged her horn, and inserted it into the lock.

The lock clicked open.

Sweat rolled from her brow as she stood. None of this made any sense, but there was no turning back now. She had to know why her name was on a stone box at least a millennia old, and how it could have her magic-print before she was born. She lit her horn and looked inside.

Only a plain stone tablet broken in two pieces greeted her. She carefully removed the larger piece and brought it up into her horn’s light. The underside had been carved in classic lettering, but she immediately recognized her name in modern Equestrian.

TWILIGHT SPARKLE:
WE thank thee for what thou hast already done for our daughters of sun and moon, but thou must be armed with truth. THY trials are only the beginning of the perils that shall come to Equestria in thy time. MUCH will depend on thee. PREPARE thyself daily!
THE FORETELLING OF QUEEN FATE

All this work for a prediction of doom? She felt tears coming on as she sat it down, dreading what the rest of the tablet might say but coming too far to go home without seeing it. She flipped it over to find an even shorter message.

But no matter what comes, you will never have to face it alone.
King Destiny

Length: 550 Words
Prompt 2) What's in the Box
Title- Trixie's Secret

With the night’s festivities over and the delegates from Saddle Arabia thoroughly amazed, Twilight was ready to hit the hay, though not after some late night reading of course. However, on her way back to the library, she noticed one thing that she had expected to be gone. Trixie’s wagon. Feeling curious, Twilight noticed that a light was on inside and opened the door.
“Trixie?”
Trixie abruptly shut the lid to a large rectangular box and sat on it. “Wha, uh, oh! Twilight? What are you doing here?”
“I was wondering the same thing. I thought you already left.”
“I did. I mean I was. Just leaving that is.” Trixie smiled with big teeth.
Twilight cocked her head at the sweat that was beginning to form on Trixie’s face before something else drew her attention. “Hey, is that one of those boxes you use to saw a pony in half?”
“Box? What box?”
“The box you’re sitting on?”
Trixie’s eyes slowly moved down. “Oh. You mean this box. Um… sawing ponies in half. Yeah, that’s what it’s for.” Trixie smiled again.
Twilight raised her eyebrow. “Can I see it-”
“No! You can’t see in the box!”
“I meant the trick where you saw a pony in half. Is there something in the box now?”
“No. No of course not. Why would there be?”
“Okay…” Twilight looked at the box again and was startled when she thought she saw it jiggle. “Hey, the box just moved!”
“Oh… did it? It is a magic box after all.”
“I thought it was for sawing ponies in half?”
“Well yeah but… um… it was an earthquake?”
“You just said it’s a magic box and now you think it’s an earthquake?”
Trixie’s smile somehow grew larger. “Yes?”
“Are you hiding something?”
“Um…” Trixie searched the room with her eyes. “Well, I was…” Trixie swallowed and smiled again. “It’s a present. It’s for you.”
“For me?”
“But you can’t open it now. It’s a surprise.”
“Why would you do that? This isn’t a trick is it?”
“No. I was just… hoping that we maybe could be friends?” Twilight raised both her eyebrows at that. “You know, because I am the Great and Apologetic Trixie and all, I was kind of hoping I could make it up to you?”
A very bewildered expression formed on Twilight’s face, but it was soon replaced by a small smile. “We’ll see.” Trixie appeared relieved and it was enough to make Twilight giggle. “I better go. I have some reading to catch up on.” Trixie nodded and smiled a large grin again. “By the way, it’s nice to hear you say I, rather than Trixie all the time.” Twilight smiled at her and closed the door behind her.
Trixie wiped the sweat off her face and smiled, this time in more of a grin. “Yes, the great and apologetic Trixie want’s to be friends.” Her form suddenly glowed in green as she opened the box and looked at the occupant tied up inside. “Isn’t that right, Trixie?”
Trixie struggled against the gag in her mouth as her other self transformed into a much darker form.
“Good thing I patched things up. I think Twilight and I are going to become the best of friends.” Queen Chrysalis laughed as she shut box.

The End

Prompt 3) One of the main six is wandering around the old Castle
Title: Requiescant in Pace

The ruined hallways of the once great castle located in the center of the Everefree Forest echoed with the hoofsteps of a lavender unicorn. Twilight Sparkle’s horn started to glow, illuminating the room around her. She was here for a reason; she goes here every year to celebrate the event that transpired on this day. Her saddlebag on her back didn’t slow her down to her destination, as there were only six small objects inside of them.

Finally she reached her destination; the place where their first triumph took place. In the center of the spacious room were six stones, all in a perfect row, the stars and black night looking down on them from above, keeping them safe. Twilight levitated the six objects out of her saddlebag and placed them on the ground in front of the stones. She walked towards the sixth one, and vanished.

If a pony were to see these stones, this is what they would have said:
Rest in peace, Elements of Harmony. May you be forever in our hearts.

Prompt 1) Scootaloo asks Dash some "sisterly" questions.
Word count - 540.

"Why do you ask, squirt?" - Rainbow Dash inquired neutrally. She expected something awkward, given that Scootaloo rarely allowed herself to look vulnerable – especially vulnerable enough to need privacy to talk. And so, they were sitting at Rainbow`s home, glasses of juice in front of them as filly popped one uncomfortable question -"How to get rid of a crush?"

Scootaloo looked aside, sipping her juice. "I just.... I mean, it`s silly." - she blurted - "I don`t want this! I never asked for this." Dash rubbed her head sheepishly. "Eh... Well, you can try to let him down gently." - she offered, - "And if it didn`t work, then pop the bucker one-two like I taught you. That`ll teach him when no means no."

Scootaloo hopped up, her wings fluttering as she paced. "It`s a filly." - she offered finally. Rainbow`s eyebrow shot up. "Huh. A filly, you say? Well, you could tell her you don`t swing that way, I guess. And if that does not work, it`s back to good old one-two again." - she offered, cringing as she recalled her own altercation with Gilda. It didn`t end up with just a punch, but she wasn`t about to reminisce about that.

Filly flopped back on her seat and downed her glass of juice. "I... Look, it`s ME who has a crush." - she offered, looking away, - "It`s silly and I`m not even supposed to like Sil... er, that filly." Other brow also shot up, as Rainbow Dash leaned back, incredulous.

"...Ookay, I guess I can see the problem now." - she drawled, - "But, uh... squirt, it`s too early for you to think about that. Especially about fillies." Scootaloo groaned, hitting her forehead on the table softly. "I know!" - she wailed, - "I don`t want to crush on stupid Silver Spoon! Why her!? Why couldn`t I have a crush on somepony cool, at least!? Somepony like you?"

Rainbow Dash put her wing around Scootaloo gently. Normally, she wouldn`t be caught dead acting touchy-feely, but right now? Screw it. "I dig ya, squirt." - she offered softly, - "I really do. The best I can offer is... well, go for it. I don`t promise it will go well, mind. But if you keep it bottled up, you`ll do something really stupid eventually. Best to just get it over with. Who knows, maybe it will work out for you."

Judging by foal`s grimace, she wasn`t enticed by the idea. "Silver Spoon will just tease me about it." - she retorted, - "She`s a meanie." Cyan mare let out a chuckle - "Hey, don`t knock it till you tried it. Maybe you`re just what she needed her whole life. And if not? Well, you have to think ahead. Don`t go and ask her before everypony, see? That never works. Write her a note, get her alone before you talk. And hey, if she turns on you, you can always say she`s just making up stuff because she`s ashamed she`s got hots for you."

Scootaloo looked up hopefully. "Did it work out for you?" - she asked suddenly. Rainbow Dash looked away. "No." - she answered softly, - "In the end, it didn`t. But it was awesome while it lasted."

1) Scootaloo asks Dash some ‘Sisterly’ questions
Title: No Matter What

So, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were sitting on a cloud. Well, Scootaloo was sitting, bright eyed and attentive, but Rainbow was really more of lying. She could have been snoring; Scootaloo wasn’t sure.

Rainbow Dash yawned widely, sucking tufts of white clouds down her throat. She promptly bolted upright, coughing violently at the unexpected intrusion of her air canals. Looking about, she saw they were floating over Sweet Apple Acres, where the red-spotted apple trees rustled in the wind.

“Huh- Wah? Oh, hey Scoots, uh, how long was I out?”

“Oh, only a few hours,”

“Right, cool, so where were we?”

“Well, you had just been showing me some of your awesome flying tricks, then you said you were going to take a nap and then I waited here for you to wake up!” Scootaloo smiled a smile as large and bright as the sun, clearly overjoyed to be spending more time with her idol.

“Uh-huh, so... Got any questions?”

Scootaloo’s mind raced. This was her chance to ask all the questions she had always wanted to ask. This was her chance to ask sisterly questions- ‘cause they were totally like sister now, right? This was her chance to really, truly bond with Rainbow Dash. There was only one problem- she had no idea what to ask, and she hadn’t for a while now.

About a week ago, she had approached Sweetie Belle on the subject. Sweetie had told her of her queries on fashion and her help requests for styling her mane, just as her fashionista sister had come trotting into the room modeling some fabulous new item. Scootaloo rejected that idea, thinking Rainbow wanted nothing to do with frou-frou activities such as that.

She approached Apple Bloom next, who told her that she talked with her sister about colts and stuff. Scootaloo thought this was a great idea, but then she recalled certain whispering that Rainbow wasn’t interested in colts at all. Again, Scootaloo dismissed that line of questions. Besides, she didn’t have a crush on anypony.

Finally, she approached Pinkie Pie and asked about her sisters, but the answer she received then simply made no sense at all. She had spent the time since desperately thinking of something to say. What was something all sisters shared, no matter what...?

Scootaloo cleared her throat. Here goes nothing...

“So when do I get to meet your parents?”

“What!? No, kid, I meant about flying and stuff.”

410 words