You remember Canterlot. You remember the taste of victory. Across a thousand years and a hundred lives, it was the greatest joy you had ever felt.

And then, in a flash of heat and unbearable light, it ended.

Now you are alone. The rest of your kind are dead or scattered, and you cannot hear their thoughts.

There is a void inside you. A gnawing, endless hunger you cannot escape. It is killing you.

You need love to survive, but there is none of that here. Not for you. You can only steal it from them, these ponies for whom we are hungry.

[My entry in and winner of the "Most Dangerous Game" contest."]

For Spike, it wasn't easy coping with the fact that Rarity was gone. It seemed like it was just yesterday when he finally mustered up the courage to confess his feelings for her. Now that chance was gone. Thankfully, as the years passed by, all of Equestria changing around him, he found himself slowly coming to terms with the reality. Before long, he thought that he had finally gotten past the pain. Past his love.

However, when changelings are integrated into Equestrian society, a strange opportunity presents itself to him, one that brings to light a realization: He was never over his love for Rarity. In fact, it was as strong as ever, and he'd do anything to satiate it.

She wasn't gone. Not anymore. He was given a second chance, and he wasn't going to waste it.

Note: This ignores the S4 finale.

Princess Celestia never knew what it was like to be feared. Sure, she knew of the anxiety of those meeting her for the first time, but that was a given. That wasn’t true fear. She knew of the fear of defeat shown by past villains she had brought down, but it was never true fear of her or her actions.

This colt, though? This earth pony who just appeared in her castle? He fears her. He fears her above all else, even death itself. Not even Nightmare Moon was feared this way. So why, oh why was this little colt so terrified of her? What had she done? How can she ever hope to alleviate her little pony of his pain, if her very presence causes him to lock up in terror?

Just where did this colt come from?

(So imagine a character from a grimdark story (ideally the victim) ending up in canon Equestria, and you pretty much have the premise behind this story. Do be warned though; this is much darker than my other stories, mostly because of the setting the aforementioned character came from. Seriously, when I thought of a victim of a grimdark story, I really wanted his old home to be as grim and dark as I could make it.)

The night can be an amazing thing. It can reveal mysteries and house the most beautiful music, and the night that Scratch and Ziggy shared on the hill was no exception. A single night can do amazing things for two ponies, even if they don't realize it.

Ziggy Stardust was never good at talking. A bouncer didn’t have to be. He wasn’t expecting that to change when he moved to ponyville. He wasn’t expecting the DJ either. Sometimes it just takes somepony else to get you started – all you need is a little feedback.

At what should have been a routine doctor's visit, Applejack learns that she can never bear foals of her own. After an emotional breakdown, her friends do their best to calm her.

However, as the discussion develops, nopony is prepared for Twilight's revelation: the grand event which brought them together has left a hidden scar within each of them.

Tempers flare, relationships are strained, and the strength of their friendship is tested as each must come to terms with her newfound sterility.

Now on Equestria Daily
and Twilight's Library

Thanks to these wonderful people for all their help

Cover artist
MuffinExplosion

Editors:
NotMurphy
Georg
Ping111
ocalhoun

Prereadering and suggestions from:
Eakin
Distaff Pope
John Perry
Cartsbeforehorses
JaketheArmyGuy

They call it the Starlight Rose. Roseluck sells them at her shop, although she only has one a day.

Everypony has at least heard the rumors about what happens to those who buy the rose and sleep alone. Could one simple blossom truly bring secret fantasies to life, if only for a night?

Only Roseluck knows for sure.

(A collaboration between myself and Einhander.)

This story is a sequel to Project: Sunflower

After the events of Project: Sunflower, Erin Olsen has returned to Ponyville, happy to pursue her studies in magic. After everything that happened the year before, she's looking forward to spending her days studying and having fun with her friends.

Meanwhile, on the newly discovered world of Harmony, humans and ponies work together to study this strange new world. However, their arrival causes something ancient to begin stirring. Something that may end up changing everything.

Erin will need all of her courage, all of her cleverness and, of course, all of her friends to see herself through what happens next.

Cover art by Valkyrie-Girl
Editing provided by:
Brilliant Point, Coandco, Ekevoo, Ludicrous Lycan, Merlos the Mad and Razalon the Lizardman.

Cricket Chirper is in trouble. He's a bit of a coward, you see: after getting his buggy rump kicked by six certain mares in Canterlot, he wasn't too keen on having to face them again. Well, when an order came down to attack Ponyville some time after the failed invasion of Canterlot, Cricket wasn't too keen on getting the tar beat out of him again.

So, he ran and hid in Manehatten. In other words, he disobeyed a direct order from his Queen.

Naturally, Chrysalis has a nicely evil, wonderfully sadistic punishment in mind for him...

(Has some references to the IDW comics, but reading them isn't necessary to understand this fic.)

Cover image is my own work.

[Featured on EqD] A changeling worker, stranded and far away from her home, is forced to make a difficult choice. Risk her life, or serve the enemy.

This is 100% Approved by Twilight's Library.