Applejack realizes one morning that Rainbow Dash has apparently moved in with her. This discovery surprises Dash more than a little, too, and sets off a chain of events neither could have imagined.

The original minific version of this story came in fifth in the Dec. 2015 Writeoff Association contest, "Things Left Unsaid." And the full, three-chapter-and-an-epilogue version won 3rd place in The Fourth AppleDash Contest: A Little Twist of Lemon using the categories "A Life-Changing Event" and "An Important or Memorable Date."

Set in the Nightmare Moon Takeover Timeline of the Season 5 Finale.

When Nightmare Moon cast down Princess Celestia and rose to power in Equestria, Rainbow finally found some sense of pride as one of her chosen Night Guard; pegasi empowered by Nightmare Moon herself as her elite soldiers.

When Rainbow joined the Night Guard, she met Applejack, the only pony she felt she could ever truly rely on. The only pony who ever gave her a sense of joy in her otherwise dreary life.

But when Rainbow discovers a terrible secret hidden by her closest of companions, she will find herself with a difficult choice: Choose her pride as one of Nightmare Moon's finest, or the one thing that brought joy to her life.

Written for the Appledash Contest #4, featuring: "A Place Outside of Ponyville", "Deepest Darkest Secrets"

Look, I heard you the first time! Yeesh, I wish you'd stop staring at me, as if you're reading my thoughts. 'Cuz if you could, then you'd know that while this is the first thing I'd want to do, it's also the last! I mean, horseapples, things would be a heck of a lot easier if I'd known ahead of time that Twilight and the rest of the girls had only packed three sleeping bags instead of six for this mountain hike! For realsies, if you had any friggin' clue how many restless nights I've spent thinking about you, fantasizing situations like this, then you'd know... you would freaking know how impossible it is for me to actually... sh-share a sleeping bag with my totally not-sexy-in-any-way best friend... (*ULP*) ... overnight... s-so that we could keep our bodies warm in the cold, cold forest. Grnnnng! Alright... alright! I'll do it! Of c-course I'll do it! I'm awesome! I'm not afraid of anything! Okay... I can do this... I can totally do this... I can... I can... I-I...

On her way to Canterlot High for her music club, Octavia meets Vinyl Scratch and is annoyed by the music blasting from her headphones. After getting yelled at, Vinyl responds by making odd gestures with her hands. It turns out, Vinyl Scratch is deaf, and she feels music instead of listening to it. Feeling ashamed, Octavia wishes to make it up to her, but is surprised by Vinyl's request.

Commissioned by Dashole

Pre-read by ZOMG and MrMinimii

Octavia is treated to a night out at the expense of her best friend Vinyl Scratch. But when Vinyl's true intentions for how the night was supposed to end come out. Octavia must make a life changing decision

Competition. It drives us all one way or another. Whether it’s to be the fastest flier, the best team, the greatest magician, to steal a land in jealous fury, or simply to beat that other pony to the stall for the last carrot; competition is in all of us.

Some claim that a competitive nature is healthy, and keeps a pony sharp and fit. Others claim it drives ponies apart and should be avoided as much as possible.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack don’t care about any of that. They just don’t want the other to win. Theirs is an unending game of friendly one-upmanship, a constant striving to prove their superiority to one another for no other reason than they can.

Neither of them thought it would ever bring about romance in their lives.

--------

Written for (and winner of) the 3rd AppleDash competition. Prompt by bookplayer.

Thanks to my friend, Radoh from the Escapist, for making some small, but very good, points.

Cover art by nekokevin.

It's the End. Equestria has fallen. Her lands are black and sick. Her skies are dark and cold. All that lives is dead – or corrupted by a foe long thought gone.

Millions of lives are lost, among them heroes and princesses, with its remaining survivors forced to retreat to their last safe haven. For five years, they have struggled to survive, dealing with sieges, rebellions, starvation, and death. The Pony Race is all but doomed.

But hope may yet live.

Not all of the Elements have perished. Two survive, and these two final bastions of Ponykind will make an effort to ride into the coming darkness to end it once and for all...

...or be swallowed by it like everything else.

Written by Rated Ponystar and TwilightUCrazy

Edited by TimeLord_Whooves

Vinyl lives a rough lifestyle, and it grates on more than just her health. When Octavia comes looking for her, Vinyl flees out of shame.

It's been about a year now. A year since she passed away. I feel that empty pit inside my stomach, and yet no one is there to fill it. But today, I feel alright. Because although I am alone, I am no longer lonely. As I sit, strumming my lyre, I feel almost in a state of bliss. Because today is a special day. It's her birthday.

Rainbow Dash introduces Applejack to parkour. Racing to see who the better athlete is, they discover something else in the process.
Humanized
Rated T for minimal swearing and suggested sexytimes.
(Category changed from Adventure to Slice of Life by request )

(This may or may not be a one-shot, depending on the reception. If you want another chapter, ask.)