Apple Bloom gets a rare chance to spend the day with her friend (and possible relative!) Maud Pie. Of course, she knows there's more to Maud than it appears, but her special talent means helping Maud to figure that out, too.

Cover art by tikrs007.

Thanks to Themaskedferret for pre-reading feedback.

This story is a sequel to The Alchemy of Chemistry

  Somepony has raided the border of the desolate Badlands, abducting every musician, singer and bard in the realm. Now, four brave adventurers will journey to the depths of this forsaken land to seek the meaning behind these strange disappearances.
  ...assuming Sunset doesn't strangle Minuette, Lemon Hearts or Twinkleshine in the real world first.

Featured on FimFiction multiple times in January and February of 2017!
Featured as a sequel on EquestriaDaily!

Historian’s Note:
Set in the Wavelengths timeline where the Sonic Rainboom didn’t happen, Bards of the Badlands occur about two months after the events in The Alchemy of Chemistry during the summer after Sunset’s first term as an aide at Gifted Unicorns.

Cast: Sunset Shimmer, Minuette, Lemon Hearts & Twinkleshine.

Stories set in the Wavelengths Timeline in chronological order:

Origins Arc
The Alchemy of Chemistry
Bards of the Badlands
Grading on a Bell Curve
Habits of the Equestrian Phoenix
How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative

Applications Arc
The Application of Unified Harmony Magics
Princess Celestia: A Brief History
The Cloudsdale Report

Dreamers Arc
Tactics of Snowbound Unicorns
A Study in Chaos Theory
Teahouses of Saddle Arabia
As the Raven Flies

Cover Design by Amber Spark
Sunset Shimmer Cutie Mark By Millennial Dan
Dawn Break component of Garnet’s Cutie Mark by Sankam
Garnet Gem component of Garnet’s Cutie Mark by zutheskunk
Epic Hydra Artwork by Zilvart

Special Thanks
Roll For Initiative by Prak - A big part of the inspiration for this tale. Go read it. It's hysterical.

Beta Reader & Editor Credits
Ebon Quill - Quest Designer & Worldbuilding Writer on The Manehattan Project
Little Tinker - Master of Systems at Poniverse & Scripting Engineer on The Manehattan Project
Beltorn - Commenter-at-Large on FimFiction
Painted Heart

Word Count: 28,500
Version: 7.0

Friend of mine on a military brony page had a bad experience with an antibiotic. I decided to make it worse.

So sue me...

When Twilight suggests she and Rainbow Dash visit an old crime scene, Rainbow leaps at the opportunity. Murders, mystery, drama, action -- who doesn't love that? It's sure to be a riveting story for the ages.

Sadly for Rainbow Dash, bad puns ensue.

NOTE: the following takes place during Season 6, shortly before the finale.......

One year has passed since the Night Howler conspiracy nearly destroyed Zootopia. Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde have become symbols of hope and trust to the city's inhabitants and are virtually celebrities. In Equestria's Crystal Empire, Court Wizard Sunburst is studying a new kind of spell involving teleportation. Sunburst will quickly discover the unexpected effects of such a spell and strangers from another world are accidentally brought. Now Judy and Nick must try to find a way back home while also adapting to the strangeness of Equestrian society.

I hate Twilight Sparkle, I have ever since we were kids and I still hate her. You're probably wondering who I am and why I'm saying this, right? My name is Artemis Arrow and I'm the Stardust Phantom...or at least I was.

This story follows the Equestrian version of Artemis Arrow and boy is he different from the Artemis in Blazing Passion (Go check that out to see what I mean). His life has been one filled with both silent rage and jealousy and all of it is aimed directly at Twilight Sparkle. One day, Princess Luna decides to take on a student of her own, Artemis quickly catches her eye and she decides to take him under her wing.

Tell me in the comments if I'm getting better with these descriptions or worse.

Rarity is one of the most famous, successful fashionistas in Equestria. The unicorn has it all from the shops and dresses to the fame and respect. Certainly it has been an easy road for her, right? At least, that is what Sweetie Belle thinks until she finally asks Rarity, "What kept you going despite all your failures?"

Edited by tommal & link4
Pre-Read by Scared Blade
Based on the events before "Crusaders of the Lost Mark."

My 5th short story in the "A Lesson From" series. Enjoy!

Rage Reviewed by BatwingCandlewaxxe

It happens all the time, ponies suddenly acting obsessive and reclusive, snagging random junk from around the fortress and spending weeks working on their personal masterpieces. Well, the time has come for our favorite fashionista to have a Strange Mood. Needless to say, hilarity (sort of) ensues!

Originally intended for a longer Dwarf Fortress/MLP crossover, never got around to writing the rest, thought this was kinda fun. Maybe I'll write the rest one day.

Twilight attempts an age spell again. Now Shining Armour is a baby and Luna has to foalsit him while Twilight gets Celestia. Luna is not too thrilled about that.

He was Chieftain of the Brute Armada and had at one point conquered Equestria with the aid of Discord, but was imprisoned in a capsule by Discord, who had betrayed them long ago. Now that he is free he'll finish what he has started a millennium ago.

Takes place after Season Six