Twilight always thought that being able to send the Princess her letters instantaneously through Spike's fire breath was the best thing in the world. Instant correspondence with her mentor and secret crush could never be a bad thing, right? Unfortunately, Twilight has a habit of writing her secrets down on flammable materials. Now her secret's out, so what's a panicky unicorn to do? Panic, obviously!

Celestia frees Discord from his statue prison, convinced that he is somehow behind Twilight Sparkle's grayed personality. Discord takes advantage of the situation to make the princess hate him, for reasons he hopes he'll never need to say.

(First ever attempt at writing a story other than class assignments. Let's see how it goes?)

Cover art by Anima-dos (formerly spiritto)
http://spiritto.deviantart.com/art/Shelter-325153956

There was only one explanation. For all of it. All of the strange, erratic behavior. Her irrational fear of the sun. Her nocturnal habits of locking herself in in the dark and closing all the blinds. Wearing her sunglasses everywhere, even inside! It was time to invest in some silver, garlic, and a wooden stake.

While the princesses of Equestria do a very good job keeping their land a peaceful and bright place, this does not mean that darker and more insidious forces do not exist.

In order to combat these powers, one must understand them, and Celestia has ensured that there is always at least one living pony in Canterlot who does. For the past several years that pony has been Pale Bones, aided by his assistant Scarlet Shade. They spend most of their time in a hidden archive beneath Canterlot's library, researching the dark underbelly of Equestria and the dangerous abilities its denizens wield.

Octavia Philharmonica is a desperate mare. Her involvement in the ill-fated "pony pokey" at the prestigious Grand Galloping Gala has left her blacklisted among the elite of Canterlot who form her clientele. Faced with the possibility of being evicted from her apartment for inability to pay rent she decides to take a temporary job at a local nightclub. Of course, she's never set hoof in a club before and has no idea what she's getting involved in . . .

Mort, also known as the Pale Pony (of Death), has been tasked to take time off from his rigorous duties of reaping souls. Seeking guidance, he is directed towards the town of Ponyville, to learn about the magic of friendship from Twilight Sparkle and her friends. All he needs to do is keep his true nature a secret. That shouldn't be too difficult...right?

Special thanks to Specter-Von-Baren and Pyrite Foolsgold for their help in proofreading and editing this story, as I really needed it. Additional thanks to Pilate, Chuckle5, Unimpressive Vagaries and Admiral Biscuit as well! Couldn't have done it without all their help!

Credit for the title card goes to Siansaar, AKA Carnifex.

For another excellent take on Mort, check out Sip's version!

Cloud Kicker might just have the wildest life of any pony in Equestria. Marvel at the insanity that is her life, and laugh at the suffering of her poor beleaguered best friend, Blossomforth. And maybe, just maybe, there's more to her than just the lovable sex maniac everypony thinks she is.

This is a semi-sequel to "The Incredibly Dense Mind of Rainbow Dash." Not really a proper sequel, since it's focused on Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth instead of Rainbow and Pinkie, but it's in the same continuity. So I guess that makes it a follow-up-side-quel story. Or something. You don't need to have read "The Incredibly Dense Mind of Rainbow Dash" to read or enjoy this, but you ought to read it anyway, just because.

TvTropes Page

The central story of the Winningverse.

We got a tag for Cloud Kicker, but Blossomforth still deserves one too.

On a stormy, overcast day, a yellow pegasus sings.
She sings for her love.
She sings for her sorrow.
She sings for the one who will never know either.

But when the mare who holds her heart overhears, will she have the strength to continue?

Bon Bon's voice is funny, and that's about all that anypony who meets her notices, as her marefriend Lyra soon steals the spotlight with her explosive personality, strange obsessions, and curious beliefs. And why not? Bon Bon is, after all, a perfectly ordinary, boring pony in every way but two: her voice, and the carefully kept secret that she isn't really a pony.

(Edit:) Now with an annotated version, courtesy of the incomparable Shoggoth Lord!

Rainbow Dash struggles to figure out why Pinkie Pie keeps acting weird, and seems so happy about spending Hearts and Hooves with hanging out with her, while also puzzling over the fact that Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth seem to be going out of their way to help the two of them enjoy the day.

Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth need to have their own tags, because they're awesome characters who deserve to have more stories written about them.

Has a semi-sequel-follow-up-side-story:"The Life and Times of a Winning Pony."