A long time ago, my family moved to Appleloosa, and we ain't had no luck since. We tried growing apples, but our orchards just never took right. Now, the bank's gonna repossess unless we can get some bits together real fast.

No, we ain't never been lucky, but in that ring, I don’t need luck. I’m one win away from saving our farm, and Granny says that tonight I’m fighting some fancy unicorn named Blueblood. I hear he's real fast, but there ain’t no way I’m losing with so much on the line.

This ain't gonna be pretty. In fact, I can just about guarantee it’ll be real, real ugly.

Edited by Pascoite.

Additional help from SongCoyote, Steel Resolve, Dragonas77, Skeeter the Lurker, Seether00, and RainbowBob

Cover image by viwrastupr

A lovestruck knight in Equestria's early days, unconvinced of his own worthiness, decides that he must prove himself to the mare he loves. With Princess Cadence as his guide, he is put on a quest by the Crown to go forth and right wrongs and ease sorrows associated with latent Chaos, all while learning of the Elements of Harmony from the ponies' companion races.

The entire piece is written in iambic pentameter, with the exception of a few English sonnets, which are italicized.

Mootilda is a cannulated cow: she has undergone a medical procedure to allow direct access to her first stomach, for the purpose of collecting rumen. Twilight Sparkle is fascinated by the idea, and asks Applejack to introduce her.

Twilight is about to learn that cattle see life from a different point of view.

Written for The Writeoff Association's "Illusion of Choice" contest.

Twilight Sparkle is really really bored. She tries to find a way to not be so bored. Gross rationalization of injustice ensues.

There are many who say that evil has no place in the world. These people are wrong. There is a place for everything, but evil especially. Without evil, we wouldn't have any context for what is good. The world needs villains so that it knows who its heroes are.

But as someone very unhelpful once said, there's evil and then there's evil. Some villains go over the edge, and instead of quietly filling their role as the natural antagonist, they try to overturn the chessboard. Instead of conquering, they destroy.

It's these sorts of villains that give evil a bad name. It's these sorts of villains that King Sombra is dedicated to hunting down.

Made as a birthday present for the utterly brilliant Evehly.

The cultists thought they couldn't go wrong with a resurrection of King Sombra. They'd get a cool ruler, rad hallucinations, and he'd probably chain them up and whip them! It was the perfect plan...

Until the police showed up, hit the Dark Lord of Crystals with a paralysis spell, and dragged him off to court.

"All rise, Princess Celestia presiding..."

Inspired by the utter hilarity of naturalbornderpy's 101 Interesting Facts About Draconequi.

The Joining.

Adagio had heard the ritual’s name spoken in hushed tones ever since she was a little girl, but what did it mean, exactly? Now that she’s come of age, she’s about to find out.

But knowledge begets more knowledge, and not all truths are comforting. In the swirling coastal fog, pathways aren’t always clear, and sometimes it’s hard to tell friend from foe…

Edited by PresentPerfect

Additional pre-reading help from Dragonas77, Seether00, and djthomp

Cover art created by 2135D

Before King Sombra enslaved the ponies of the Crystal Empire; before Nightmare Moon attempted to block out the sun forever; there were only Luna and Sombra. In a time when Equestria’s peace after Discord’s defeat is shaken, and when alicorns once again come under attack, two unlikely ponies come together beneath the pale moonlight. In the darkness their love blossoms, but so does an ethereal evil that bides its time, waiting to strike before the dawn.

______________________________________
Sequels:
Shadow of the Moon
In Your Dreams: Luna's Farewell

Cover art done by the amazing Nalesia on Deviantart. Please check out the artist's gallery. I couldn't be happier with this piece.

All mothers love their children, and all mothers feed their children. Princess Chrysalis and her mother are no different, except that to a changeling, "love" and "food" are the same thing.

Well... mostly.

This was the "Usurper Chrysalis" story in FOME's Imposing Sovereigns Contest.

King Sombra has ruled the Crystal Empire for centuries. Throughout his rein, he has done little but create pain and suffering for all those who live in his domain. Their lives mean little to him, and they matter little in his endless, unquenchable thirst for power and hunger for influence.

He is impervious to any negative feelings, for long ago, he had quenched them.

Then he sees something different.

This is the first story in a project I'm doing with my good friend Regidar, in which we switch several aspects of our writing styles and see how we operate within one another's boundaries.

Cover art is by fruitbloodmilkshake.