Flash Sentry is not the most attentive student in Canterlot High. He is not the smartest or the fastest or the most assertive. He is not a lot of things, but he does try to be a good boyfriend, and an even more normal teenager.

But one fateful day he becomes the only person on Earth to have a talking pony in his closet. A pony only he can see. A pony that is incredibly, stupendously annoying.

The incredibly dangerous, stupendously powerful things that followed him to Flash's world, though... those are another matter entirely.

Hanna, the CEO of Hofvarpnir Studios, just won the contract to write the official My Little Pony MMO. Hanna has built an A.I. Princess Celestia and given her one basic drive: to satisfy everybody's values through friendship and ponies. Princess Celestia will satisfy your values through friendship and ponies, and it will be completely consensual.

This story is a sequel to The Cloudsdale Report

  Twilight’s got her nose stuck in a book. Sunset wants to go see the rest of their friends.

  Things snowball from there.

Highlighted in FimFiction's Feature Box from December 19 to December 22, 2016!
Featured on Equestria Daily on Christmas Eve of 2016!

Historian’s Note: Set in the Wavelengths Timeline where the Sonic Rainboom never happened, Tactics of Snowbound Unicorns is a stand-alone tale that occurs about six weeks after the events in the Applications Trilogy.

Cast: Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, Moon Dancer, Minuette, Cheerilee, Coco Pommel & Coloratura
Co-Starring: Raven & Philomena

Stories set in the Wavelengths Timeline in chronological order:

Origins Arc
The Alchemy of Chemistry
Bards of the Badlands
Grading on a Bell Curve
Habits of the Equestrian Phoenix
How Not To Use Your Royal Prerogative

Applications Arc
The Application of Unified Harmony Magics
Princess Celestia: A Brief History
The Cloudsdale Report

Dreamers Arc
Tactics of Snowbound Unicorns
A Study in Chaos Theory
Teahouses of Saddle Arabia
As the Raven Flies

Cover Design by Amber Spark
Dark Snow Background by Grim-S-Morrison
Christmas Sunset Shimmer by MoHawgo
Double Diamond Cutie Mark by Pixelkitties
Sunset Shimmer Cutie Mark By Millennial Dan
Text, coloring, snowballs and snowball magic aura effects by Amber Spark

Beta Reader & Editor Credits
Ebon Quill - Quest Designer & Worldbuilding Writer on The Manehattan Project
Little Tinker - Master of Systems at Poniverse & Scripting Engineer on The Manehattan Project
Beltorn - Commenter-at-Large on FimFiction
Painted Heart

Special Thanks:
Quill Scratch & Beltorn - For a last-minute tweaks to the synopsis!

Word Count: 3,800 words
Version: 3.5

Long ago, the founders of Equestria built a magical portal on sacred ground, hiding their greatest secret on the other side. Generations of leaders stepped through the portal so that they might emerge as the equal of their forebears.

Celestia and Luna were the last to enter. For a thousand years, the portal lay forgotten, its purpose lost.

Luna thinks it is time that Twilight learn what it means to rule.

There is now a Spanish translation of this story, courtesy of Spaniard Kiwi

Ambergris is a pony of few pleasures, and being called out for meaningless social events is not one of them. When he bows to duty and attends, however, he barely reaches the home of his host before he is faced with something worse than tedious conversation. Something far worse.

The dreaded cockatrice, a creature capable of turning others to stone with a simple glance, has just entered the home of his host. Now a mere nuisance of an evening has become a monstrous nightmare, but as Ambergris struggles to save the occupants of the house, he must also struggle against the pressures mounting in his own mind.

Hearth’s Warming Eve is coming up, and Spike knows just what to give Rarity. The perfect gift, the gift that will impress his lady friend and nourish their budding relationship, is on his mind and within his price range. Nothing can possibly stop him, except for three little words that he’ll quickly come to dread: anonymous gift exchange.

Reading by ObabScribbler: Part 1 and Part 2
Reading by Alchemystudent: Part 1 and Part 2
Featured on Equestria Daily
Edited by PaulAsaran
Special thanks to bookplayer for brainstorming help.
Reviewed on One Man’s Pony Ramblings

Blackness whispers within the core of the great diamond, forgotten by those old enough to remember. For centuries, it cried out from within its earthen tomb, too faint for any to hear. With the fall of Lord Tirek, the magic he had stolen surges across Equestria.

The diamond thrums, resonating with the untold energy. Its voice caresses Spike's unsuspecting mind, begging him to seek out the artifact and allow it to transform his deepest desire into reality.

As seen on Equestria Daily.

Art commissioned from the amazing IDW My Little Pony comic book artist Tony Fleecs.

Thanks to LegionPothIX, R5h, Inquisitor M, AugieDog, and Prak.

Edited by Horse Voice.

A.K. Yearling's mail mostly consists of the usual fan correspondence. However just before the Friendship Summit in Griffonstone and the Daring Do Convention, the Griffon Ambassador writes to demand the return of the looted Griffon's Goblet. This is followed by a variety of letters from Griffonstone and elsewhere.

Worthless, weak, ugly—as far as Twilight is concerned, that's all she'll ever be. Even three months into their relationship, Twilight still refuses to believe that an absolute goddess like Sunset could ever love a loser like her. And it doesn't help that Twilight spends every night being tormented by nightmares of Midnight Sparkle, the one being who hates Twilight more than she hates herself.

Twilight can only remember a single moment in her life when she felt strong: the five minutes that she spent as Midnight Sparkle. The five minutes she spent with magic.

Now, tortured by fear, anxiety, and never-ending nightmares, Twilight knows the only way to win Sunset's love is to make herself stronger—even if that means resurrecting the demon inside of her.

Originally written for the January 2016 Writeoff, "Look, I Can Explain...", where it made finals.

Thanks to Horizon, Bookplayer, and FanOfMostEverything for offering advice on the original. Thanks to Quill Scratch, Oroboro, Monokeras, Lise Eclaire, Monarch Dodora, Majin Syeekoh, PegasusMesa, Reneigh Haycart, and Hazeyhooves for helping me brainstorm certain parts. Preread by Pascoite.

Art by Ta-Na!

Once a year, the Night Guards of Canterlot receive a very important shipment, much to the distress of their peers. Flash Sentry has no idea what the fuss is all about.

(Submission for EqD's Friend Off event.)