A nurse has seen it all. A combat medic has seen even more.

Princess Celestia sends her elite Household Battalion—"Celestia's Own"—south, far beyond the borders of Equestria, to break the slave trade and to free the oppressed. Medic Redheart, a young rookie among the Guard's hardened veterans, is with her Battalion every step of the way.

She's never told anypony her story. Until now.

A side story/prequel to my The Ponies in the Caves and A Story to Relate To, but reads independently.

This story is fantastic. There wasn't a single chapter that didn't give me chills or bring a tear to my eye. The way you describe the selflessness of the soldiers, and Redheart's unrelenting drive to save them, no matter the personal cost, was exemplary. I look forward to more of your work.

-SGTBRONY

Has a Black Company feel to it with the medic POV. Great story so far!

-Lerris

Cover art by Pabbles, by commission. Thanks!

With massive thanks to the folks in the Discord for comments and advice, and Totallynotabrony, Raleigh, Sledge115, and ChudoJogurt for detailed pre-reading, in whole or in part. Any remaining errors are fully my own.

Author's notes and commentary blog, with big spoilers.

Set in the Pandemic Universe (which existed well before the very real pandemic and this is in no way shape or form related to that) and takes place after the original story, though that’s not required to read.

All dreams start somewhere. For most night ponies, they start in the dreamscape itself, but that's not always the case for all. Two months after the ETS Pandemic changed the world forever, a bright, optimistic dream starts, whether the ponies responsible for it realized it or not. While some choose to cling to the past, some choose to leave it behind. This is the story of one of those ponies, Silver Eclipse, crafter of dreamscapes and dreams. In the waking world he helped create a dream called Oasis, a place where dreams can come true. But all dreams start somewhere, and this is the story of where that dream started, and the very special pony without whom it would never have happened.

Halira's stories, What you are Meant to Be and Picking up the Pieces offer some expanded night pony lore which introduce and expand on some of the concepts in this story, but it's not necessary to read. The original story is also recommended if you'd love to learn more about this universe.

Special thanks to:
ASGeek2012
Halira
Lawra
ModernSilver
FlutterJackdash
Javarod,
and
Alias_The_J

for offering much needed feedback and advice over the course of writing this story.

This is a rewrite of my very first story, and definitely my passion project as of right now. Any feedback or comments would be greatly appreciated, even if it's just something simple or small. Thanks!

==== Originally Written: Fall 2011 ==== EDQ Link ====
After a party to welcome the season of Nightmare Night, the library becomes the target of strange activity. Minor annoyances prelude greater events, and soon Twilight and Spike each take action to handle the situation in their own way. All the while, questions hang in the air. What lingers amongst the shelves? What watches from the corners? What stands just behind you only to disappear when you turn to look?

What is in the library, and what does it want?

After saying her nighttime prayers, 5-year-old Witching Hour can't help but feel sorry for the Mare in the Moon, and so shares her thoughts before turning in...

She can't know the affects her words will have...

This story is a sequel to Steady as She Flies

No power in the 'verse can stop them. They live for flying dangerously, and trolling the ever-loving life out of everypony they meet.

Much to Captain Spitfire's annoyance, Squad 12's antics never cross the line into Violations... The best she can do is simply not feed the Trolls.

That doesn't mean that others aren't going to feed them...

This is a collaborative effort between myself, Sylvian, Jim Hoxworth and Zoljen, using our alternate OCs.

Moonbow is mine, Sunshower is Sylvian's, Azure Star is Zoljen's and Bear Claw is Jim Hoxworth's.

Advisory: This story will contain massive amounts of crude humor, feigned incest, shamelessness, and unadulterated crack that comes from writing in the wee hours of the morning in the delusional throes of fatigue. This story will NOT contain any significant amount of plot, unless you count these crazies flaunting their rear-ends at ponies.

Cover image is a cropped screen capture from MLP:FiM Season 3, Episode 7, Wonderbolt Academy, and rather appropriately captures Spitfire's expression while dealing with Squad 12.

To enlarge the sphere of virtuous harmony of the benevolent design entrusted to us by Equus; and it is most fervently to be hoped, that the conduct of every member of the order, as well as those publications, that discover the virtues which actuate them, may tend to convince all races that the grand objective of the Minutor Crystallum is to promote virtues among all races.
General Cherry Tree, Writings
Letter to the Grand Forum of the Virtuous and Accepted Minutors for the Commonwealth of Canterlot, Snow Moon 776 Equestrian Era

With the fall of Equus to the Vices, a small consortium of crystal miners banded together to preserve the culture, faith, and knowledge of the fallen empire. Originally, they had a very minor role, as Equus’ lifestyle continued and thrived in the Crystal Empire under the reign of Crystal Hope, and later Queen Amore Cristallo. However, when the Crystal Empire vanished upon the defeat of the Mad King Sombra, the Minutor Crystallum took it upon themselves to seek out old records and keep them safe.

While the Adamantem operated within the political structures of the foundling nations or directed the organization, and the Vicus kept to their archival duties, the Ipsum used the knowledge preserved to find more and learn more, training in the ways of spycraft and strategy to acquire those things valuable to the society of miners.

In the spirit of the Equusese Empire, their society included members from all races; drakes, wyverns and kirins from the east, griffins from the west, and zebrica from the southern savanas, to say nothing of the usual pony races, donkeys and mules that made up a the significant number of small nations between.

In Cloudsdale, a small cell of Ipsum had been assigned the task of infiltrating the Wonderbolts with little success. The closest any had gotten was the reserves, none making the cut for the recruits or elites. In the meantime, they kept to their usual work for the order; gathering intelligence and going on missions to gather historical artifacts…

And then they found a lead on the mother of all artifacts; the relic of the Virtue of Life itself.

Sombra, Prince of the Crystal Empire and the adoptive son of Queen Amore, returns home after a long and hard fought war against the ancient Black Dragons and is eager to continue the budding romance that has started to flower between him and the radiant Princess Celestia of the southern kingdom of Equestria.

However, when he returns home he is swept up by a prophecy given to him by the Crystal Heart. A prophecy that foretells the doom of all he loves at the hooves of the Umbra. And so Sombra sets off once more into the wastes to confront this foe, determined to save his Empire and the mare he loves before it's too late.

Little does he know, he's playing right into fate's hooves.

It's been a long, long time since Rainbow Dash and Applejack got together, but Rainbow still remembers it like it was yesterday. Which is surprising, really, considering how very drunk she was at the time. Well, whatever. The grandkids are over, and maybe story-time will keep them quiet for a bit. It's good to be optimistic, anyway.

A short exploration of just what it means to win.

Written for the Appledash Warm and Fuzzy Feelings Event! Go check out the other stories and have your heart warmed here!

Mevs are magic-eating vampires. There are two types: master and fledgling.

Rainbow Dash becomes the master type one night, not long after the School of Friendship has recovered itself from a rough start. She and her friends learn of a way to help keep her properly fed. She needs a pack, and six fledglings are the recommended number. Being a master mev has obligations. There is work to be done, and despite a little drama or tension that may arise here or there to continue life as a regular pegasus most of the time, Rainbow Dash grows to love her new role. It's actually awesome, fun, and rewarding.

Featured Dates:
11/21/2020
12/24/2020
01/01/2021
01/09/2021
10/31/2021
11/13/2021
11/20/2021
01/16/2022
03/06/2022
04/04/2022
07/12/2022
08/06/2022
10/01/2022
11/05/2022
11/27/2022
12/05/2022
12/28/2022

Rainbow Dash turns thirty, and it's just like any week, month, year, or decade of her life.