Dragons are something of an enigma to Equestria. Those who do live within the borders are largely reclusive, either building their hoards or sleeping away the decades. So far as dragons who are active in everyday life in Ponyville go, Smolder represents a 100% increase in the population.

Twilight cannot let this opportunity slip her by. Enough time has passed for it to not be a diplomatic faux pas to sit Smolder down and grill her for much needed details on her species, not only for the sake of science, but for the benefit of the young dragon in her personal care. Naturally, the topic of death comes up.

Twilight handles that about as well as you might expect.

Discussion of death is largely academic and intended to be comedic but I've tagged it teen to be safe. No actual death or scenes of violence are shown so I didn't think the death tag itself was needed. It's also tagged for comedy as that was my intent, but only you can tell me if it's actually funny or not.

Now with sequel: Growing Up Dragon

Special talents.
That thing that sets ponies apart from each other and gives them a path in life. The one thing that they excel at, broadcast to the world by their cutie mark.
The spectrum of special talents is as wide as the day is long and twice as varied as you think it is.
But, interesting talent or mundane, everypony needs a job to put food on the table and not every talent lends itself to one.

After all, not everyone can be blessed with specific high-demand talents like "growing plants" or "cleaning" or "flying". Even less often does a pony get a particularly nebulous concept or multi-faceted skill like "magic" or "partying" that can apply to any number of jobs.

Sometimes, no matter how good you are at what you do, it's just not something you can make a career out of.

But for those unlucky few, there's a group filled with other ponies who face the same problem that they do.

---

Editted and proofread by the wonderfully helpful NecroHorse!

Every year, I write to the princess. I think she's amazing. I want to be just like her.

I wonder if she'll ever reply.

In an unremarkable city, in an unremarkable hospital, to two unremarkable ponies, a filly was born. A filly who was all too remarkable. A filly who radiated Destiny, and Adventure.

Her parents, however, liked their unremarkable life, in their unremarkable city, and wanted nothing more for their little filly than to have a nice, normal, unremarkable youth. So whenever Destiny or Adventure reared their heads, they made sure to nip it in the bud. Magical portals, foreign princes, time travellers and mysterious salesponies of magical musical instruments all got the same answer:

Nope.

Based on the Nope: The Anime joke (original posts) that went around on Tumblr some years ago. Expect silliness.

Covert art based on a picture by greyscale / Theponysketchguy, edited by me to change her hair and eye colour and make her look younger.

Spanish version:
Un poni llamado Nop on DeviantArt, translated by SPANIARD KIWI.

There’s nothing better than a weekend, a time when you can relax and unwind in the solitude of a dock with nothing to think of but your fishing pole and earthworms for bait.

And pegasi.

So very many pegasi.

Now with a reading by Curtis Wildcat!
Now with a Chinese translation by hehelover

Certain aspects of the palace have been stable for a long time, and the longer that time has gone on, the harder they are to shift -- no matter how badly Luna might desire it. But one tapestry is undeniably ugly. It's been ugly for more than a thousand years. And so she's going to do what should have been done centuries ago and simply kick it out.

Inanimate objects have a way of returning to the scene of the crime.

(A stand-alone, no prior-reading-necessary part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group: new members and trope edits are welcome. )

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Dedicated to Bill Veeck

When an unconscious "brony" is found in Equestria, he is bought to the Royal Castle by Princess Twilight Sparkle. When he wakes up, he is surprised to see three of the "characters" of one of his favorite cartoons in front of him.

But when offered the chance to ask questions, he takes it and asks the trio questions. A lot of questions. None are how to get back to his world but instead are mainly about their "questionable" moments.

He may be surprised about what he'll get for asking those questions...

Special thanks to TheHardie-Boy for proofreading this story.

06//06/19 Oh my Celestia this made the featured list! Thanks so much, and glad you liked it!

06/07/19 Wow, reached 1,000 views in less than 2 days!

(Rated Teen just to be safe about it. Takes place before Season 9)

Author's note: THIS GOT FEATURED!? NANI!? (2/5/19) Thank you all! Have a Pinkie hug! Also thanks to the people who've pointed out grammar mistakes, I am not perfect unfortunately.

My name's Sun Glow. I'm a Pegasus working at the Baltimare Weather Department because that's the only place that will take me. The only thing people care about is that I look like a Pegasus version Princess Celestia and I hate it! Day in, Day out, getting mistaken for her, getting comments about it, being denied jobs because of it and a lot of accusations of being a Changeling. I hate it! I want it changed but nopony can change but there's one pony that probably can: the Princess herself.

I never asked for this look and I've had it since birth. But all I know right now is that if the Princess can't change it, nopony can.

"'Colts will be Colts' is not a sentiment that applies here at my Friendship School!

Times have changed. Kids or not, everyone, students of friendship included, have to answer for these sorts of disrespectful displays. Now, all of you, down to Counselor Glimmer's office, immediately! I'm going to have a long chat with her about what to do with you all!"

EDIT: Featured #2 same day, 3/21/19! Thanks!
EDIT: #1 same day! YEET- thanks all!
EDIT: Now with an AUDIO READING by Skijarama!

(Gore tag is only for one short scene in ch2 due to description of blood in T story)
(It tickles me every time people erroneously think this is a self-insert)

Tobias has lived in Ponyville for almost two years now. He's been holding onto his secret, even though his friends keep worrying more about him every day. He focuses on the different jobs he does around town, trying to get by one week at a time.

He's become a welcome resident of the town, even if a few ponies still shout insults now and then because of his appearance.

Not a single one of them knows he's only been a diamond dog for two years and he's been trying to find a way home.

~~~~

What the crap am I doing in the feature box?!

That's like

And the top of the feature box the day after?!

I'm kind of glad I intended this to only be five or less chapters.

Second chapter given a great boost by feedback and proofreading with the help of:
FreedomFiend
Timetraveling Pony
m2pt5

Third chapter editing and feedback help from:
FreedomFiend
JimboTex