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

Sunset Shimmer hates being trapped in her human body. Everything about it is wrong, and too different from the pony she is inside. It causes her a lot of stress, and one night she just can't take it anymore. Luckily she has friends who care.

/x/x/x/

A hurt/comfort oneshot I wrote because I got burned out on TFW Nudes. This fic is mainly backstory for Sunset Shimmer in that fic so it's technically a prequel but it is a standalone fic and neither is required reading to understand the other, but they enhance each other. Cover art by https://www.fimfiction.net/user/325386/CastASpellLiana from https://www.deviantart.com/castaspellliana
Content warning: nudity (not sexual, not graphic), mild language

This story is a sequel to Chiaroscuro

Cozy Glow can't remember the last time she'd felt the need—or had the ability—to blink. But with Stygian, a pony she vaguely recalls, standing in front of her and saying that she's Equestria's only hope? That definitely deserves a blink or two...

An entry in the 2023 May Pairings Contest, this story received one of the five "Judge's Prizes" in the final results.

One evening, Twilight Velvet, book editor for Hoovesbury Publishing and mother of two, meets her newest client: aspiring writer Sunny Skies, who writes of distant lands and people from across the world, who has as many secrets as Celestia has loving subjects.

It didn't matter to her much, so long as Sunny did her work, and Velvet hers. But as the seasons pass by and their acquaintance grows, Velvet finds that perhaps she and Sunny are more alike than she could have ever imagined.

Set before Season 1.

Now with an audio reading by skysayl! Thanks a bunch

Third Place in the 2023 May Pairings Contest!

4/5 Stars from Loganberry's Louder Yay!

Featured on Equestria Daily!

A standalone piece in the Spectrum-verse. TV Tropes page here!

Edited by VoxAdam, proofread by skysayl and EileenSaysHi. Thanks, everyone

The Great Hall of Asterion excerpts adapted by VoxAdam.

Cover by egriz.

Featured on 29/5/2023-3/6/2023, reaching #1 three hours after publishing!

Even years after Twilight took the throne, there's plenty of excitement in Ponyville. The question isn't whether something interesting will happen, but how ridiculous it will be.

Going by how Snips and Snails are at the epicenter of this one, Apple Bloom's bumping up her initial estimate.

Image by Purplesmart.ai, deliberately chosen for iffy quality. On a related note, contents rated C for Crackfic.

Rainbow Dash is fine, despite what her friends think. There's nothing wrong. She's just tired, that's all.

Pre-Read and edited by Rimmer.
Cover art edited by ModMCdl. Frankly I don't deserve either of them but here we are. (Original image by Arkwys)

Now available in audio format thanks to The Mystery Fluttershy Fan, available on their youtube channel here!
A reading also available from Reaper Prince of Light, which can be found on their youtube channel here!

Most ponies seem to love like the sun, a single spot of intense, blazing passion. Starlight Glimmer is different. Her love feels like planets in the night sky. So many scattered lights, so far out of reach, and so hard to tell from the fixed stars.

Fortunately, she has a teacher who's very good at astronomy.

An entry in Bicyclette's Polyship Contest, written at the last minute because that's when the idea came to me. Rated Teen for frank discussion of physical attraction and a brief mention of suicidal ideation. Takes place immediately after "Uncommon Bond" (S7E24, the one with Starlight's favorite board game.)

Now with a reading by The Mystery Fluttershy Fan.

shortdesc

As the years passed in Juniper Montage's mirror, Starlight found a way to give its inhabitants an escape. One she could never have for herself.

longdesc

Starlight Glimmer failed to wrest the Magic Mirror from Juniper's grasp. She failed to convince her of the error of her ways. Instead, Juniper Montage sucked her into the Void just like Sunset and her friends. There was nothing to stop her after that.

As the Void filled up with more and more people facing the fate of a featureless eternity, Starlight discovered a method of escape, of sorts. Juniper banishing the other magical artifact users meant they had access to the Memory Stone, which Starlight could use to craft an interior world of a shared dream among the Void's inhabitants. A temporary solution, to pass the time until the day they could all escape the Void altogether.

But what if that day never comes?

info

an entry to The Spring Fling Contest.

thank you to Krack-Fic Kai and Moproblems Moharmoney for prereading, and Rego for shortdesc advice.

It shouldn't have been a big deal. Celestia was kidnapped or knocked out or just generally made to seem powerless by whatever idiot with ill intent decided to show up on a nearly weekly basis. As the mighty and immortal Sun Princess, she could escape at any time, but she was happy to play these little games. The daring rescues and bloodless battles gave her ponies such a sense of confidence and purpose!
But this one didn't go as planned. One small, stupid mistake got her thrown to the twisted reaches of the world-prison, Tartarus. Now alone, unarmed, and barely more than mortal, Celestia wakes in a living landscape where everything has every reason to hate her.
And, far worse, she has accidentally picked up a passenger.

Sidenote: This a repost (I tried to go through official channels, I promise!) of a story I wrote long, long ago on an account I foolishly deleted. Back in those days, Tartarus hadn't shown up in an actual episode yet. It's not exactly an alternate universe situation, but it has nothing to do with the canon portrayal of the place.

Super amazing cover art by Cold In Gardez.

If one lives immortal life, they may often find it rife
With events that cause them strife, which may make them want to roar.
This tale is of one such being, who thought life was disagreeing
With her when she lost her sister, who forever she’d adore.
Perhaps another can step in, since she’s lost one she does adore…
Would you like to read some more?

I was inspired to write this when Unique SKD took his own shot at 'going Poe' (said story has since been deleted, unfortunately). It just took me a while to work out the kinks with this one.

My second story in poem form, I followed the trochee as best I could. It wasn’t easy.

Editing and brainstorming provided by Shahrazad
Cover picture by pokerface3699