[Takes place after my story "Running Late". If you haven't taken a look at it, you will not know why the story starts out the way it does.] Finding a gift for someone is hard. Finding a gift for your girlfriend is a nightmare. This is what Spike is left to solve. He is determined to get the perfect gift for Octavia. A stranger offers Spike such a chance at a gift. However, this stranger has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Freed once again from his stone prison, Discord takes on a different approach to getting his revenge; by recanting his past with Celestia and Luna both to the Elements of Harmony.

As Discord tries his best to corrupt the ponies' faith in their seemingly flawless princess and her damaged sister by telling them the whole truth, Discord finds himself second-guessing his position in the rivalry. But what is it that caused Discord to flip the lid in the first place?

Big Macintosh is a stallion of few words, but that doesn't mean he's slow or uneducated. Unknown to any outside the Apple family, he's a wiz at math and finds himself smitten with the one pony who could share his love for numbers, and who just so happens to be the personal student of Princess Celestia; Twilight Sparkle. With a "gentle" nudge from his persistent sister, Big Mac manages a date with the purple unicorn, but a relationship might turn out to be more work than either one bargained for.

Princess Twilight Sparkle, daughter of the Queen and King of Gymkhana, is summoned to her mother's chamber one day. Princess Celestia of Equestria is willing to help their dying kingdom, and in return the Queen gives Celestia what she wants most; a student. Now Twilight Sparkle is sent to Equestria to learn more about magic-and her brother wants her to hide a part of who she is from everyone besides the Equestrian princesses.

However, while in Canterlot, tragedy strikes and Twilight is forced to flee Canterlot-and where else would she go than Ponyville?

Warning: Alicorn Twilight.

After years of getting shot down by the famous fashionista, Rarity, Spike decides to give up hope on ever finding love...that is, until he learns of Twilight's true feelings for him. Rarity finds out what she was missing out on when Spike begins to bother her less and less. When she makes a move on Spike, unknowing of his and Twilight's relationship, tension rises and relationships break. Now, will Rarity be able to fix what has been broken before lives are changed forever?

As I said, a Big Mac shipping fic, testing out conceivable ships between him and just about everypony. Mane6 - AJ are of course involved, as well as Cheerilee.
Read to discover what it's about. I'm not going to tell you more here.

Oh, and I apologize for the rather contrived prologue. Getting a quiet character like Big Mac to move through the story of his own accord wasn't working, so Granny Smith gives him a kick in the right direction.

This story will go on for a while. Some of the later chapters will feature background characters in star roles, and later on, OCs will be involved as well, including a comedy chapter focusing on bad OCs.
If you want to nominate a background character, OC, or bad OC for appearance in this story, PM me.

Click the <♪♬♪> links for musical accompaniment!

Octavia Philharmonica was one of the most skilled classically-trained cellists of her generation. She could book entire concert halls chock full of mares and stallions from across the land to hear the somber anthems of her instrument of choice: the cello.

After the complete disaster that was the 1000th Annual Grand Galloping Gala, she found herself banned from doing that which was her life's only calling. Alone and with nopony to turn to, she finds unexpected companionship in the current patron of the Apple Family, a certain red stallion by the name of Big Macintosh.

Mad props to Scootareader for having the patience to pre-read this as I wrote it as well. In my previous fics, I had never used pre-readers. Yeah, I know. Nooooot smart.

Vectors used in the cover art were created by Scrimpeh and Esipode. Background by BronyB34r.

Luna, feeling overwhelmed by the emotions from happy couples at the Nightmare NIght dance, flees the town. Arriving at Sweet Apple Acres, Luna meets Big Macintosh.

Spike is trying to have a peaceful day, when all of a sudden he is interupted by his three rambonxious kids. Now, he has to tell them a story about him and their mother, but it won't be as simple as that.

Spike's been the piano player at this rundown tavern for a year now, it had slowly become part of him. The usual crowd knows him well, as he knows them. But Octavia wasn't part of the usual crowd.