When Twilight and Celestia have an argument about the existence of leap years, there’s only one possible way to settle their differences: a race around the world!

With the full benefit of hindsight, there may have been other ways.

An 80 Days crossover, written as part of Horizon's writing challenge. Edited by Ether Echoes, Soge, Giant Hat, and Tormented Dragon, who are all amazing.

Ancient pony legends say that the Royal Sisters came from the west. Until now, the long and dangerous voyage stopped anypony from attempting to validate those claims. But when Luna’s banishment puts an end to the rebellion, a group of her most devoted subjects sets out to help their Princess in any way they can, even if it means traveling to places where no bat has traveled before and where the harmonious laws of reality are suggestions at best.

Everypony has a story. Some tell of heroic feats and grand adventure. Others tell of villainy against the forces of Harmony. The story of an average guard, however, is one of obscurity. They live in the background, unnoticed but ever-present.

Silent Knight assumed his tale would be like that of his father's: join the Royal Guard and serve Equestria. He would be just another helmet and spear, part of the rank and file. And that was all he ever wanted.

However, when Captain Shining Armor asked for volunteers to form a House Guard for the recently returned Princess Luna, it was Silent's hooves that stepped forwards to set his new life in motion.

Equestria and the Crystal Empire have fallen to the Changeling Hegemony, led by the brutal Queen Chrysalis at the head of a mechanized horde of guns and tanks. Princess Cadance stayed in the Crystal Empire; Princess Twilight stayed in Equestria. Chrysalis rules the continent, only defied by Nova Griffonia, the poor Griffon colony in the north.

Across the ocean, the Griffonian Reich pledges to reclaim its lost territory, sundered by revolution a generation ago. While the Alicorn Sisters retreat to New Mareland, Princess Flurry Heart and Shining Armor turn to Aquileia, the Republic born out of the ashes of the Griffonian Reich. The Kaiser of the Reich is only a child, subject to a regent bent on war and conquest.

Flurry knows the Reich and Chrysalis have worked together.

She knows that war is coming to Aquileia.

She knows that Celestia and Luna abandoned her mother and Twilight Sparkle.

She knows that the world is on fire, and she is the last true Princess of Ponies.

She knows she will go home.

Cover Art by Opal Radiance, commissioned by Sunstreaker.
https://www.deviantart.com/opalradiance

Isolated from her friends and taken prisoner in the middle of a war, Twilight must deal with the very real dangers of being percieved as an enemy as well as the nightmares of her arrival on 'Earth'. Can she overcome her own fears and the fears of her captors? Will the wayward unicorn's assistance be a boon or a curse to the 'humans?' Most importantly, will she ever find her way home?

"In short, it's a story of friendship and plasma rifles, with the emphasis on the friendship. The characters are well written, the XCOM setting is fleshed out very well, and the story is compelling. If you love XCOM, you'll love the story, but even if you've never heard of it, it's more than worth giving the first 3 chapters a read.

There's excellent action later on, but the real strength lies in the collision between the friendly and naive world of Twilight Sparkle and the desperate world of humans fighting a losing war for survival and willing to do anything to turn the tide."

--Arzoo

(XCOM/FiM crossover)
(Cover art commissioned by a friend and created by the magnificent FoxInShadow!)
(Original cover art by the amazing Carnelian can be viewed here!)
(Gore tag for blood and some violence)
(Many thanks to the studius OminousTen, Arzoo, xXFluttershyForeverXx and finally Setokaiva for giving my rambles a once-over)
(Now with it's own TV Tropes page! Get to tropin' folks!)

This story is a sequel to Ms. Midshipmare Dash

Ensign Rainbow Dash, Royal Manticoran Navy, thought her past was behind her. She was wrong.

A sequel to Ms. Midshipmare Dash. It's by no means necessary to read the prequel first. 

A crossover with The Honorverse, but zero knowledge of that source material is needed. I created an Honorverse Crossover group.

Thanks to Samey90, Justified Paranoia, Mockingbirb, and Raleigh for pre-reading.

Cover art by commission with Harwick. This looks amazing, and big thanks!

Not an entry to any contest.

Being a pony from a human world is hard. Being a Queen's officer is harder.

No need to be familiar with the crossover source material ahead of time.

Thanks to Sledge115 and Raleigh for pre-reads, and various Discord denizens for idea bouncing.

Sequel: Fusion.

Lives are controlled. Communication is monitored. Anything deemed improper is censored. If you want to send messages in private, you need to do it physically, with couriers known as Runners.

Rainbow Dash is a Runner. It's not the greatest job, but it's for a good cause.

The government is hunting Runners. If they think you're carrying information they don't want you carrying, they'll come after you with everything they've got. They have nigh-limitless resources at their disposal: enforcers, vehicles, surveillance. Your life will be on the line until you submit. They will find you and they will hunt you down, and your only defense will be your wits and your ability to run.

Now it's the greatest job.

An experiment in atmosphere, entered in the Science Fiction Contest II because it inspired me to finish it. A thematic crossover with Mirror's Edge; no non-pony knowledge required.

Some bonds take longer to form than others. Some require quite a bit of pressure. Some happen whether you like it or not.

Some need only a spark.

Part of the Jinglemas 2022 collaboration.
Written for kalash93, who requested a story about Trixie and Sunburst, and maybe Starlight.
Preread by Alex_.
Edited by GaPJaxie.
Big thanks to Redruin for the cover art.

You are Anon, and you own a musket for home defense. When four rapscallions break into your house. "What the devil!?" You do what must be done. Now you have to explain to Twilight why this makes sense.

Edit: Featured? Thank you everyone!

Reading by Wuten: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Hab2Ff1cI