Saving the damsel in distress is less impressive when you're the one who ruined her life in the first place.

Pony Joe is going to try anyway.

Now on Equestria Daily!

Thanks to Aragon, MrNumbers, and Themaskedferret for editing.

Thank you to SilFoe for letting me use her wonderful art, and to ThePoneDrome for the colourful additions.

Luna is the Princess of the Night, which is normally a job she loves...except on Hearts and Hooves Day night. Naturally, that is an evening of private nocturnal events and dreams for most ponies, and so Luna must put in overtime to make sure she assists her subjects without crossing any bounds, causing any awkwardness, or putting herself anyplace she isn't wanted.

Fortunately, Luna can at least take a break this evening to go to her favorite twenty-four hour bakery, Donut Joe's. Donut Joe is always there, no matter how late the hour, with a smile on his face, a mug of coffee for her in one hoof, and a plate of donuts for her in the other. And Luna is always happy to take a seat at the counter and talk with her new friend.

Meanwhile Donut Joe has had a special appreciation for his best night customer ever since her return over a year ago. He has always found something beautiful in the nights...and now he has found something familiar and comforting and special in Princess Luna.

Perhaps on this most romantic of evenings, a little something will come along to give these two a nudge toward each other.

(That little something ends up involving Discord, Celestia, love 'poison', and a party in Las Pegasus, by the way.)

Sequels:
Donut Nights 2: A Heartfelt Hearthswarming,
Donut Nights 3: Nightmare Night Canoodling

It is common knowledge within Canterlot Castle that Princess Celestia is rather fond of her tea, and is particularly amicable after having her first cup. Upon waking up and finding that there's no tea to be found within the castle, how does Princess Celestia react?

Not well, not well at all.

Rated T for dark humor, harsh language and false death threats.
Proof-read and edited by ChappedPenguinLips.
Cover art by LateCustomer on Deviantart.

When Discord drops by the donut shop one morning, Joe is understandably nervous. When the draconequus keeps coming back, the baker soon realizes his life is better with Discord in it.

Discord comes to the same conclusion.

One of them just needs to admit it to the other.

Thanks to Mykola for the pre-read, Punished Bean for talking through a few sections, and to CrazyDiamond and everyone else for listening to me ramble on about this one.

Art combined by me from two sources.

Featured 5-27-21 to 5-28-21, peaking in the #2 spot. Thanks, everypony!

Sunshine Smiles is totally a serious businesspony. Totally! Like, prestigious enough for all those Canterlot types, you know? Um.

Princess Celestia finally has enough of the selfish Prince, but everypony has a story. Can an unlikely special somepony bring out the best in Blueblood? Some flavors clash. Some flavors mingle. Does a bit of sweetness make up for a lifetime of sour?

The lives of the pampered prince and the brash and brawny baker become intertwined thanks to Blueblood's uncanny abilities. Can this donut-doling darling deal with the prideful, persnickety Prince?

(I promise there isn't a ton of Alliteration in the story)

This story is a sequel to Donut Nights 2: A Heartfelt Hearthswarming

Over ten months ago, Luna and Donut Joe confessed their feelings to each other on Hearthswarming Eve and embarked upon a beautiful courtship. Now it's Nightmare Night, and Luna and Joe are one of the most admired couples in all of Equestria. Indeed, their emotions have blossomed completely from a simple crush all the way to...a confession each of them is prepared to make tonight. Still though, they worry about where the future will lead and if they will be able to manage all of the challenges it can hold.

Fortunately, Joe and Luna's relationship-building skills are always fresh thanks to the amount of effort they have to put in on Discord and Celestia who are still just friends despite how ridiculously close they've gotten (). Clearly they need some advice from a seasoned couple (and perhaps Celestia and Discord can help teach Luna and Joe something along the way).

It's an evening of absolute relationship madness, so come one, come all, to the First Annual Nightmare Night Ball!

Sequel:
Donut Nights 4: Hearts and Hooves Day Redux

This story is a sequel to Donut Nights

*Set during or after season 5*

It's the Hearthswarming Eve after that last fateful Hearts and Hooves Day night when Princess Luna visited Canterlot's best donut shop for a snack and discovered a special connection with the baker Donut Joe. Yet, despite months of visits (and flirting), their relationship still continues not to progress beyond the friendly to the amorous (though both ponies secretly wish it would!).

Finally though, just as it seems the couple is making some progress, who should walk into the donut shop but...

...Princess Celestia, of all ponies!

Yes, Princess Celestia enters, and she has an urgent (Discord-related) request of her sister. The situation quickly escalates into a princess fight, passionate confrontations, and shenanigans galore!

Beautiful cover art used with permission from lovelyneckbeard

Beautiful ending art done for this story by Stepanda

Sequel:
Donut Nights 3: Nightmare Night Canoodling

After a thousand years of exile, Princess Luna has returned!

As part of events to mark the occasion, for one night the palace has turned Canterlot into an open-air festival of art, music, performances and vendors, with the city's various galleries, studios, and museums offering free admittance to all who would join in the celebration of Equestria's beautiful night.

Octavia isn't normally a pony for such events, and at first would rather just stay home and practice her cello. Thankfully she has a friend who knows better, who drags her out in spite of herself, allowing Octavia to experience the many marvels the night may hold.

A Scratchtavia meet-n-greet story.
Rated Teen for events towards the end.

Story was inspired in large part by personal experiences had during Winnipeg's Nuit Blanche 2016.
Events and locations have been ponified for purposes of this story.

Reviewed as Recommended by The Pleasant Commentator and Review Group.

Pre-reading thanks to:
• Stitchwolf
• An-Twan Star
• Wave Blaster
• A M Shark

This story is a sequel to Donut Nights 3: Nightmare Night Canoodling

Hearts and Hooves Day.

The first holiday Donut Joe and Princess Luna ever spent together--and a day when they first began to connect as more than friends. It's a special day for the happy couple, especially now that they're in love and have a steady relationship. They're even prepared to 'have the celebration be doubled' by using their time travel spell to relive this particular Hearts and Hooves Day a second time since Luna always loses most of the holiday to her nightly princess duties. However, even the closest of couples can still have problems, and when Luna faces a new dream of Joe's, the pair must put aside their celebrating to face their plans for the future once and for all.

Meanwhile, Discord invites Celestia to dinner in the clouds for a holiday celebration that goes from confusing to sweet to panic-inducing until finally a chase erupts that leads the chaos master and the sun princess to an adorably awkward conversation about their own love life.

The finale of the "Donut Nights" saga.