Dusky isn't looking for trouble. All she wants is a job, a place to call her own, and a quiet life.

But when Diamond Dogs kidnap four foals, it's up to Dusky—formerly Major Dusk Fireball, Household Battalion, Equestrian Royal Guard—to lead the citizen-soldier reservists of the Ponyville Home Guard into the Dogs' caves in a desperate rescue mission.

Feature box, 2019-08-10 to 16! Thanks, all!

Cover art by commission with Pillowrabbit (Deviant Art / Fimfic ). Thanks!

Follows my "A Story to Relate to," but can be read fully independently.

Side-story: Redheart's War

Additional character tags for searching: Sweetie Belle, Flitter, Cloudchaser, Sparkler, Dinky Hooves, DJ P0N-3, Octavia, Princess Luna, Starlight Glimmer, Davenport, Bon-Bon, Toola Roola, Coconut Cream, Rainbow Dash, Mayor Mare.

Vice-Principal Luna recycled her old metal rock band outfit for this year's Costume Carnival... an outfit that gives her a passing resemblance to another world's Nightmare Moon.

Then, when she leans against the wrong mirror, that resemblance becomes more than passing.

Just more magical shenanigans at Canterlot High.

(Top of the Featured list, 10/23-25/18! Thanks!)

Part of the Remember Fort Libris print anthology, thanks to our Kickstarter supporters!

Beyond Equestria, the lands to the north are hostile and unforgiving. Ponies eke out a subsistence in uncontrollable weather, separated by mile after frigid mile of snow and mountains. A land where only the hardiest survive is no place for civilization.

Yet civilization encroaches from time to time. When a colossal bounty is placed on the head of a unicorn deep in the arts of necromancy, a motley crew of bounty hunters assembles and gives chase. It’s too good a chance to pass up. They’ll bring her to justice, no matter what stands in their way. Not her dark magic. Not the inhospitable environment.

And certainly not each other.

Other entries in this series:

• Hinterlands
• Urban Wilds
• Death Valley

This story is a sequel to Princess Celestia The Changeling Queen: Stories Behind the Mask

At the Royal Wedding, Chrysalis and the Changelings were revealed to all of Equestria.

But another mask was torn away that day. A mask born for a thousand years. A mask created on one promise. A mask, that has become synonymous, fused, to its bearer.

A mask that when ripped off, causes Twilight, her friends and Luna to question everything they ever knew about the one pony, one very important pony.

At the Royal Wedding, the meaning of the phrase 'Princess Celestia' changes forever.

NOTE: Chrysalis is NOT Celestia!!! That'd be impossible to pull off.

Credits to: Plainoasis for the design of the cover art
Note 2: Original cover art here: https://angelea-phoenix.deviantart.com/art/Contest-entry-Changeling-Celestia-337023552

Pre-read/edited by Zervziel,
Blankscape,
FinalFan,
Courage Fire
Aurora Borealis

Side Stories to this can be found: here.

An audio-reading on youtube up to Chapter 21 is up by StraightToThePoint Studios. I'm aware there are others but this is the nearest complete one: [embed]https://youtu.be/X3eMW673CSY[/embed]

There are also 2 print versions of Princess Celestia:The Changeling Queen. Nonexistent Publications run and Ministry of Image's run.

Contribute to the TV Tropes Page (thanks to Babs_Seed72 for getting it up)

"... at the forefront of our fandom’s writing scene ... Masterpiece." —PCaRG
"... really enjoyable ..." —City of Doors
"...worthy of high praise." —PaulAsaran
"Lots of wonderful world-building, great action, well-developed characters and an engaging story." —Hoopy McGee

Steel Song is a lot of things. Earth pony. Uncle. Professional bodyguard.

Retired.

So when he receives a mysterious package from Princess Luna a few weeks after the changeling invasion, he's understandably apprehensive. More-so when he presents himself before the Royal Diarchs to find that not only do they desire him to come out of retirement, but to take command of a most unusual position...

A position that may have more significance than any of them suspect. Because strange thefts are occurring on the Equestrian Railway, thefts that nopony can explain. Thefts that may have far more sinister intentions than their seemingly innocent nature may convey.

Intentions sinister enough to shift the balance of power in Equestria forever.

Book I of The Dusk Guard Saga.
Epic Fantasy
Has a collection of Side Stories as well, the first of which is here.
Now with a TV Tropes page!
"This is 100% Approved by Twilight's Library!"
Added to Twilight's Library 11/26/2013
Added to Canterlot's Finest 12/01/2013

The Night Guard was once a highly regarded order, and joining the personal servants and defenders of Princess Luna herself was one of the most prestigious positions anypony in Equestria's armed forces could aspire to. Then the Princess of the Night had her little run-in with jealousy-induced insanity, and her subsequent banishment left the Night Guard in a bit of an awkward position.

Fortunately, the fact that the Night Guard was not really needed anymore never seemed to occur to anyone, and now, a thousand years later, the order is still just sort of... there. However, after centuries of neglect and a complete lack of supervision, the Guard barely resembles a military organization anymore.

Some unquestioning military bureaucrats apparently still take care of pay and hiring, and every now and then, new recruits arrive with purpose in their step and stars in their eyes, convinced that service with the Guard will allow them to achieve great things. But while those hopes unavoidably end in disappointment these days, recruits tend to acknowledge soon enough that the current state of the Guard does have its perks.

The only thing that could possibly ruin this cushy little job would be the return of Princess Luna. But it's been centuries since she was banished, and really, at this point, what are the odds of that ever happening?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
A little just-for-fun side project I did a while ago over a pretty short period of time.
Be warned, within this tale you will find:
- references to excessive alcohol consumption
- juvenile and cringeworthy innuendo
- shenanigans
May also contain trace amounts of bat ponies.

Expertly proofread and edited by the hawk-eyed, diligent, and just all around [insert positive adjective of your choice] 0_0.

It has been more than one hundred years since Celestia banished Nightmare Moon. While Equestria has enjoyed a century of relative peace and prosperity, there are still lingering tensions between the three pony tribes.

Shadow Kicker, a proud warrior of Pegasopolis, must navigate the treacherous noble court of Canterlot and address the concerns and wounded pride of her own tribe in a desperate effort to prevent matters from coming to open warfare.

This story is a sequel to A War of Words - The Opening of the Guard

For centuries, the stallions of the Royal Guard have protected Equestria from every danger imaginable.
Now they face a new threat to their position that will not be so easy to defeat.

Mares.

The story of four mares who answer the call to guard Princess Luna, and the troubles they go through to gain acceptance and respect in their new jobs. Or it could be considered to be the story of four interlopers into a traditionally male role and the underhanded tricks used to secure their position despite their obvious unsuitability for the job. Pick one.

Cover photo credit to the fantastic MuffinExplosion at DeviantArt.

Thanks to my editors: Peter, MSPiper, Featherprop, Seether00, GameKnut and Tek

Author's notes on the development of the story and characters may be found here.
This is a sequel to A War of Words - The Opening of the Guard which is featured on Equestria Daily