This story is a sequel to A Confederacy Of Dunce Caps

He's supposed to go on. There's a foal to care for, employees constitute another level of responsibility... in theory, he has so many reasons just to get up on the morning after her death. And the next, and the next, until he meets the lost in the shadowlands once again. When his part of the contract comes due, and he can finally feel whole again.

But he can't seem to remember having gotten up. Going to work. There's snippets, but... just that. Because if he pays attention, he has to live, and living means he has to remember, and if he remembers...

Mr. Rich knows he's supposed to go on alone. He just doesn't know how.

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. (New members and trope edits welcome.) This story takes place years before the one linked, and no knowledge of the other is required for reading.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

This story is a sequel to Partner

Longdesc

Rarity has always dreamed of three things. Being at the top of the fashion game, having a full social calendar in great demand, and catching the eye of a royal. She now has all of these things, in the best way. She’s the special somepony of the most royal royal of all. Her longtime friend and Sovereign of Equestria, Princess Twilight Sparkle.

So she's happy, right?

It’s so much better than what she would have had with Applejack all those years ago.

Right?

Tags

• Sex: Rarity’s recollections just got a little too spicy for me to not want to play it safe, but it’s pretty close to not needing the warning.
• There are some Unhealthy Relationship Dynamics

Continuity

A companion piece to Partner, which expands on the past of the AppleDash relationship mentioned here, though that relationship is much healthier.

Author’s Note

Interesting that Twilight Sparkle and Rarity are the only unpaired members of the Mane Six at the end of the show.

Right?

Also in my Equestria there is a magic-based way for mare-mare couples to have biological children. The mechanism isn’t important, and it’s not commented upon because it’s very normalized. Just so you know, in case such things confuse you.

Spike carries each of the most important ponies in his life home after a long day.

A commission-turned-gift for B_25

UPDATE: A Spanish language translation for Carry Me Home is now available, made by Spaniard Kiwi on his deviantart.

UPDATE (2024): Them's Writin' Words podcast did a wonderful review of this story. I appreciate all the thought and work put in to their critiques and all the kind words.

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria...

One week ago, Twilight Sparkle was crowned the fourth Princess of Equestria. Tonight, Ponyville hosts the 1003rd Summer Sun Celebration, and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna want a vacation. With two fine young princesses like Cadance and Twilight to take over for them, nothing could possibly go wrong.

(Title image hacked together from vectors by sakatagintoki117 and Chrome-MMVII.)

The queen has fallen. Her kingdom has splintered. The failure at Canterlot, however, did not begin her downfall.

It was the son she bore. Called by changelings a Halfling, his blood mixed with the blood of ponies has him marked as an abominition in the eyes of the most conservative of changelings. Fearing change and what a mixed breed foal might mean, the Royal caste collaborated with members of the Religious caste to declare the queen and her child outcast from changeling society, effectively stripping her of her title and the authority with it. With her kingdom in a state of civil war, the fleeing former queen does the unexpected and sets her sights upon the Crystal Empire for refuge.

With a small group of loyal followers, she made her way to the north, into the Everwinter Storm where the Crystal Empire awaited. There, a changeling priestess offers refuge and Sanctuary on holy ground. There, the queen might be able to secure a refuge for her son. Perhaps his father would be keen to take him in while she set about the business of righting the wrongs against her.

Vengeance, but only after her son is seen to a safe and secure environment.

But why let him be raised by prey?

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You guys are awesome. Thank you!

After putting on the Element of Magic, Sunset Shimmer was shown just how much of a monster she really is. But that wasn't all the Elements did to her.

Sunset has now been forced to serve penance by answering any question truthfully and by doing anything asked of her, whether she wants to or not.

And she really doesn't want to.

Until all of the hatred in her heart is gone, Sunset is at the whim of her peers, unbeknownst to them of course. Can her new "friends" help her down the road to redemption?

If not, there's always that other Twilight Sparkle she keeps running into.

Current editor: Nomad_Sigma
Guest editors: Cerulean Voice, Flint Sparks, Starlight Nova, and Sholan
Extra thanks to Icarus_Gizmo, JustAnotherTimeLord, and HenryAnthonyCourtler

Cover art customized by Amber Spark!

Now with it's own TV Tropes page!
Posted on EQD June 25, 2014
Wanna read it in French?
Or, read the E-Pub version here or the online version here
Now available in print format!

Once upon a time, Silver Spoon's life made sense. She had the right friends, the right house, and the right school for a young lady coming up in the world. Once upon a time, Silver Spoon lived amongst proud towers in a vibrant, bustling city that never slept.

Now she lives in Ponyville. Not so terrible once one gets used to it. Silver's learned to appreciate some ponies, harbor grudges for others, and tolerate the rest. But sometimes, she wonders if one pony in particular is as popular as she thought.

Preread and edited by Autumn Wind, Cthuluigi, and SaddlesoapOpera

Chinese translation by hehelover

Each of the Bearers of Harmony came to that first Grand Galloping Gala with a dream in her heart and dreadfully few relevant facts in her mind. Rarity dreamt of finding her Prince Charming. She knew his name, appearance, and not much else.

But in this timeline, one of her friends has her back.

'All the world’s a stage,
And all the mares and stallions merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one pony in her time plays many parts,
Her acts being seven ages.' ~ William Shakespony

In the aftermath of banishing her corrupted sister, Celestia is left to tend to a land ravaged by fear of their own rulers, political discontent, racial tensions between the three tribes and her own crushing loneliness. A thousand years is a long time to wait for the return of the pony she was closer to than anyone else in the world; long enough that she needs to make other connections with other ponies to prevent herself from going mad and following her sister into corruption. The question is, can one pony ever be strong enough to rule a land for a thousand years and be both a good ruler and a good pony?

Written as a Patreon reward for Echo Located, who asked for a first person story about Celestia during the period of Luna's absence based on the poem 'The Seven Ages of Man' by William Shakespeare.

This story is a sequel to Past Sins

Hearth's Warming is a time for friends and family to come together, celebrate harmony, and welcome the new year. Nyx is looking forward to just this as she rides the train to Canterlot with Spike and Twilight. She's going to meet her extended family for the first time and wants nothing more than to make a good impression. Yet, the sheen of the holidays can't hide the trouble caused by meddling grandparents, relentless reporters, and a paranoid uncle.