3/14/24 Still Alive Edition

There's only one pony in Ponyville that the Mane Six have never met. Pinkie Pie has never thrown him a party, Applejack has never sold him a mug of cider, and Twilight has never seen him check out any books. And as far as that unicorn, Lapis Print, is concerned, that's exactly how it should be.

Lapis can't risk them knowing where he lives, what he does for a living, or even what his name is - if he gets his way, the Mane Six won't even know he exists, and nopony in Ponyville will miss him once he's gone.

It should be a piece of cake - after all, it's not like the biggest magical power in Equestria is about making sure everypony looks out for each other, right?

(Rated Teen for language - mental cursing mostly.)

Rainbow Dash's morning was pretty much ruined.
She tripped getting out of bed and landed flat on her face, giving herself an aching muzzle.
She forgot to buy her favorite brand of hay flakes at the store yesterday and had to eat plain toast for breakfast.
She found out she had to pull double-duty today and tomorrow on the weather patrol.
Oh, and she found a nearly-dead foal, broken and bleeding at the edge of Ponyville.

The rest of her day became a whirlpool of stress and worry but the colt woke up, thank Celestia.
Something's not right, though. Nopony can find his parents, he's not in the registers, and there's an unsettling look in his eye...

-
YouTube reading by Fire Hearth

Chinese Translation by forgivenlove

Russian Translation by Likantrop

TV Tropes page, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Today was a shaping up to be a bad day, Apple Bloom had been running for her life in the Everfree forest. Now she didn't even know if she was even in the same forest anymore. She had never before seen trees so tall, and never before had she met something so strange.

Something ancient.
Something overflowing with old and powerful magic.
Something green.

This story is a sequel to The Sunlight Project

After the disaster that was her Sunlight Project, Twilight Sparkle somehow manages to ask Sunset Shimmer out on a date. She isn't ready.

That isn't enough to stop her from trying. However, she needs all the help she can get to navigate the relationships in her life.

☀Edited by the kind and wonderful fourths.
☀Preread by Misago

It's a fact often ignored by peons, traitors and other non-entities but true royalty does not get ill.

So though it might appear that Queen Chrysalis is ill she obviously isn't.

And while it might appear that she needs looking after, she doesn't!

...but if you insist then she is wise enough to take advantage.

-
A reading from the ever on-the-ball Straight To The Point Studio

Another reading from, uh, Pony & Wolf Productions, apparently. Who I'd never heard of. But good on them!

Chrysalis might be one of the most evil, vile, and dastardly villains that Equestria has ever known. She might have been responsible for nearly destroying the world more than once, she might even be a soul-sicking, shapeshifting monster, but she is still a mare.

She had never been given a genuine, honest compliment from someone that wasn't under threat or stuffed into a feeding pod or mind controlled. Today that is going to change.

Cadence really hasn't happy about the whole thing.

Artist is llamacheesecake

This story is a sequel to Winds of Change

Changelings have always been a secretive race, shrouded in mystery and keeping to themselves, staying unnoticed and in the shadows, feeding where they could and avoiding discovery at all costs. When Chrysalis made peace with Celestia, the veil of secrecy and subterfuge was shattered, and thanks to Twilight's efforts, the other changeling queens can no longer remain hidden.

Of course, Twilight is more than happy to leave the tricky diplomacy to Celestia. She's having a hard enough time dealing with her own amorous changeling queen and her new personal pegasus guard competing with her.

-

Cover work done by the talented Jazzy. You can find his works here and his stream here.

Editing work provided by Snoodude and MisterGunpowder.

Anon is too cheap to spring for a golden apple, so he settles for a cardboard box. Didn't start any wars, accidentally a job, 9/10 would recommend.
(RGRE)
{This story has two versions, the last chapter is the first person version.}

Failing once in her attempt to take Canterlot and failing again in her attempt to take down Twilight, one would think Chrysalis would have cut her losses and let things be, but the queen has once again appeared, this time in broad daylight with no disguise and no army. Her weapon of choice? Diplomacy.

Now Twilight is having to deal with the changeling queen, but surely putting up with her antics will be worth the knowledge she's willing to provide about her mysterious race and the potential undiscovered agents still within their midst...right?

Takes place before Magical Mystery Cure and diverges from there.

With thanks to MisterGunpowder for proofreading and editing.

Revision History:

05/09/2015: Chapter 1 updated with millions of little corrections.
05/20/2015: Chapter 2 revised and edited with another million small and large corrections.
06/12/2015: Chapter 3 given a thorough editing and revision.
06/23/2015: Chapter 4 taken to the gutter and edited twice to be sure.
07/14/2015: Chapter 5 thoroughly brutalized with the editing stick.
08/03/2016: Chapter 6 finally edited. Yes, I'm still alive, dammit.
09/29/2016: Chapter 7 fell out of the editing tree and hit every editing branch on the way down.
10/26/2016: Chapter 8 has emerged from the editing emergency room.
11/17/2016: Chapter 9 found and edited. No casualties reported.
11/30/2016: Chapter 10 treated for whiplash after lightning fast editing.
12/22/2016: Chapter 11 edited. Chrysalis shot first.
01/17/2017: Epilogue edited. Time to hit the cider.

This story is a sequel to Long Road to Friendship

It is a new year for Sunset Shimmer; a fresh chance at real happiness with her five best friends and her girlfriend. But Sunset is constantly troubled by her uncertain future, and haunted by the consequences of her past.

For her battle against Princess Twilight has drawn forth ancient forces with eyes on the last bastion of magic: Canterlot City.

As darkness closes in, Sunset must find her light and guide her friends to defend their world against old rivals and legends best left forgotten, all while dealing with their ever-looming futures.

But when graduation comes, what will Sunset Shimmer do? For she is still a stranger in this world, with or without her friends, and the road before her guarantees nothing.

Of course, with the universe conspiring against her, it'll be a miracle if she even makes it that far...

Story plot edited by HenryAnthonyCourtler
Pre-read by DrakeyC
Wonderful cover art designed by HanasakiYunarin!
Text added by Amber Spark!
The page of Spectacular Tropes!
Presenting the French translation!