To prove the superiority of ponies over machines, Trixie decides to challenge Sweetie Bot to a game of chess.

This fic was intentionally written for the 2023 Cyberpunk Equestria Story Contest, but I later on realised that there was a lower word limit of 2.5k words, so the story doesn't qualify.

Check out nonetheless the other entries here.

Now with a Chinese translation by plapoco

Have you ever heard strange voices in your head? Have you ever felt like your life is being observed or controlled by some omnipotent being? Twilight Sparkle has, and it's driving her up a wall; the FOURTH wall! Watch the hilarity ensue as Twilight hears the soothingly manly voice of yours truly!

This story is a sequel to Tantabus Communication Protocol

What started with laziness and a tiny slip-up in arcane intelligence creation has blossomed into its own being. With Luna's blessing, the second Tantabus is free to flit around the dreamscape as it pleases, unburdened by oversight. And what pleases it is making good dreams. Who couldn't be happy by making others happy?

As the Tantabus settles into its life, its horizons keep expanding, forever revealing more of the world and of ponies. There's always new things to learn. New dreams to spice up. New nightmares to beat down. New ponies to help. New ponies to annoy.

Don't tell Luna about that last part.

Cover art by Harwick.

This story is a sequel to Aunthood Issues

Pop-cultural investigative reporter Coranto has heard some pretty out-there excuses for rumors. Some were even true. But when castle gossip says Luna has had a baby, and she claims she's created an entity to patrol dreams called the Tantabus, Coranto knows she's smelling a load of hogwash. The idea is absurd. Patently. Never one to let the truth hide, Coranto decides she will get to the bottom of these rumors, and nothing will dissuade her. Not anything Luna says. Not even the Tantabus itself taking an interest in her crusade.

...Wait...

This story is a sequel to Tantabus, Mk. II

The new and improved Tantabus has behaved itself thus far, but Luna has delayed telling Celestia about it. Until one night when it jumps into Celestia's dreams to say hi and inadvertently reveals itself. Luna must now introduce Celestia to her little bundle of self-aware psychic dream energy sooner than she imagined.

Trying to patrol the dreams of every pony in Equestria can be stressful. To ease her burden, Luna retools the Tantabus to turn nightmares into good dreams instead of vice versa. Aware of her mistakes from last time, she tests it out thoroughly, making sure there are no unexpected behaviors. And as far as she can tell, there are none.

Except that it's started calling her "Mom".

Faced with the prospect of possibly creating life, Luna seeks out Twilight's advice and assistance. With a little luck, they can get this all sorted out before the sun rises.

This story is a sequel to A Changeling Path

Cyclotorna was a changeling infiltrator who spent years living among ponies in secret and siphoning their love away.

Now, after the reformation and being freed from Chrysalis, Cyclotorna returns to Whinnyapolis with the hope that a life built on lies can be saved by truth.

Not every changeling was in the Hive when the change happened. For those in distant posts, the days that followed were full of rumors, fear and panic.

In a city far from hive and home, a cell of changelings gather to understand what has happened and decide how to handle the seemingly mad new world they've been thrust into.

When Chrysalis, former queen of the changelings, is finally found, it seems something strange has happened to her. The once proud and noble queen now has cats. A lot of cats.

(An idea based off of a brief conversation with YuGiOh Brony in the comments of A Changeling at the Breakfast Table. However, the two stories are in no way connected. So while I might encourage others to read it as a way to shamelessly plug myself, there is no need to in order to enjoy this story.)

(Now with a dramatic reading: here)

After feeling sad Scootaloo finds comfort in someone special to her that she had long time without seeing, but things didn't end as she expected.

Special thanks to my editors:
AtomicMuffin
Poets Dream

Note:
This story was written before the Flight To The Finish episode. Any resemblance, even the smallest ones, is pure coincidence.