Staring at the sun makes you go blind.

It is 2058, years after millions of humans on Earth were transformed into ponies, and contact with Equestria via an extra-dimensional portal was established. An entire generation has grown up with humans and ponies sharing the world and magic being as ordinary as technology.

Turnip Jones was born on a small farm on Earth but has always dreamed of being more than a farmer. Now, he is getting his opportunity to prove that he can be a great mage by attending Celestia's School of Magic in Canterlot. However, the school may not be what he expected it to be.

Part of the Pandemic Universe

Cover art by Little Tigress

With Celestia's death and Luna's disappearance, Twilight and Cadence are forced to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the Kingdom. The battle against the griffons had been long and arduous, but after years of struggle, they are finally about to push the griffons out of Equestria.

But many questions still remains: Why did Celestia die? Where had Luna gone? And what made the griffons decided to attack their pony neighbours to begin with?

Celestia counts down the centuries until her sister's return.

Thanks so much to Soaring for pre-reading this!

Cover art found here by Rodrigues404!

The original speedwrite (in author's notes) was written for the Quills and Sofa's "Time Pressure" Speedwrite Contest, on August 29, 2023. I've polished this a bit more for publish!

Twilight Sparkle and her assistant Spike. Two names that cause Canterlot Castle to shake. Between her bizarre experiments and excentric personality, the unicorn becomes an extreme annoyance to everypony, especially when she starts fixating on a 'Nightmare Moon'. Spike is also a nuisance, often stuffing his face with random things and causing explosions randomly.

Exhausted with the chaos they keep causing, Celestia sends Twilight and Spike to Ponyville at the onset of the Summer Sun Celebration, hoping that the calmer environment will help them calm down and make friends.

It has the reverse effect.

In this story Twilight acts like Invader Zim and Spike like Gir.

Pic source available when you hover over the image.

Twilight Sparkle knew she was a smart filly. She was in the School of Magic after all, Celestia’s personal student even. She had a great family and baby sitter too. So why did she have to be so stupid and end up throwing it to burn.

Now all she had was Spike, she was alone, and somewhere unfamiliar.
(Inspired by Leave it All Behind)

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

Twilight keeps Starlight very close, until she is sure she can trust her former enemy. Within backstabbing range, specifically.

Far away, in the magical land of Equestria, grayscale ponies walk the earth. To have hues in one's hair is to be shunned by others.

With every hour, minute, and second, Topaz Glow makes sure she is the mare she has to be.

Even if that means she can never be the mare she is.

Written for Pride Month 2023.

Includes explicit depictions of dysphoria. Reader discretion is advised.

Special thanks to Zenith Sky for brainstorming the story with me, to RubyDubious for stepping up to be the proofreader and editor for this story, and to Hivemind for drawing the cover art!

Opaline Arcana has sowed dissent and anger across Equestria. With the nation divided, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends are struggling to contain the ambitious alicorn. If something isn't done soon, Twilight will have no choice but to store Equestria's magic into the Unity Crystals, putting all of ponykind at risk.

Before that, though, Twilight has an idea. There's a prisoner locked away in Tartarus that was forgotten by history. He might be just what they need to stop Opaline. However, letting him loose could spell disaster for Equestria.

It's a risk she has to take.

When Celestia and Luna's tensions came to a boil, their familial spat did not not end in one simple banishment: A war broke out that poisoned the land and divided Equestria. Now, with no regard given to her original fate, a resurrected filly will quickly learn what it means to be a ruler. This is her story.

Content Warnings: Light Horror Elements, Heavy Themes, Child Mistreatment, Child (Physical) Abuse, Light Profanity, Allusions to Sex, Depictions of Illness, (Medical) Gore, Death.