A thousand years ago in Equestria, Luna's frustration and desperation has been building for years and years as her social and political isolation grows, but just before Luna's jealousy and resentment can turn into murderous hatred against her sister, a new event triggars Luna's mental collapse and pushes her over the edge. When Luna by circumstance finds herself alone in Celestia's room she reads her sister's diary out of curiosity and discovers all of the disparaging criticism that Celestia has leveled at her over the years about how much of a nuisance Luna has been to her, but has been too polite to say directly to Luna's face.

Luna and Celestia had always supported and stuck with each other all their lives. Even when the common-ponies critisism and shunning of her was at its worst, the knowledge that her sister loved her kept Luna going. The realization that nopony, not even her own sister valued her or thought she was fit for the throne completely shattered whatever remained of her fragile psyche.

And so Luna just gave up...

She gave in...

If no one wanted her there...

Then she wouldn't stay there...

She would leave.

Celestia warns her sister that Derpy might not be the best choice for a mate. Luna isn’t the type to care how different a pony is but how big their heart is. Unfortunately not everypony can see past some obvious differences.

Written for Bike’s Crackship Contest

Thanks to my friend who preread, SleeplessB.

The public is dying to know: why did Cozy try to drain all magic from their world? Why did she try to trap the Elements of Harmony in Tartarus? How could she bear to let six classmates be sent to another dimension forever? Did she have a good reason for what she did, or was it naked self-interest?

Renowned investigative journalist Eff Stop decides to interview her and find out.

This story shares continuity with The Ending of the End - Love and Tolerance Edition, but absolutely no knowledge of that story is needed to enjoy this one.

Featured 2/24/2020

The last thing Cozy Glow knew, she was about to be stoned; suddenly, she's in a mountain cabin, with Twilight Velvet asking her to color. What's the meaning of this?! Is Cozy Glow going to be ... redeemed? Or punished?!

Twilight Velvet knows one thing that her daughter Princess Twilight Sparkle has forgotten; that Cozy Glow might be a wannabe despot, a power-hungry pegasus who allied herself with Chrysalis and Tirek, but in the end ... she was only a filly. Twilight Velvet is determined to see just what kind of filly Cozy Glow really is, at her core. But can she be saved? Or is Cozy Glow truly irredeemable?

Written for the 2021 Cozy Glow Short Story Contest, for the prompt of "Cozy makes an unusual friend."

Contest: The 2021 Cozy Glow Short Story Contest

Second Place winner!

Everypony worth their salt should have a backup plan. Cozy Glow knows this better than anyone. And when things start going south, what better backup is there than to go back in time and try again?

But when she ends up accidentally flinging herself into the future instead, she finds that maybe some goals aren’t worth pursuing.

Written for the 2021 Cozy Glow Short Story Contest using the prompt “Cozy makes an unusual friend”.

One second she was about to taste the sweet and delicious victory she's been yearning for since she was imprisoned.

"You're a pony yourself, aren't you? I'd be damned if you were the next one to bring my downfall, pony."

Instead, she's tasting the Castle floor as her mind began to fully understand the situation she was in. All decisive thoughts were thrown out the window. There was only anger and pain.

Luna is back but with the mind and body of a much younger pony. While she seems to be returning to her natural state quickly, it could be a year or more before her mentality is ready for ruling a kingdom. Celestia fears that in this state of development Luna will endure lasting impressions from her surroundings. Celestia is hit with the idea to send her sister to Ponyville to learn the ways of her new world.

With new friends and a new obsession Luna works to adapt to a new Equestria.

The cover art was done by a friend with miscommunication about Luna's appearance but its still lovely work

And Celestia too sometimes. Have you ever thought to yourself, what's the meaning of life? what are the Royal Sisters and Discord doing in all this? Well I have some good news and bad news for you! The good news is these questions will be answered in episodic events! bad news is it's mostly silly and never is truly life endangering...most of the time.

And yes there will be a bit of Lunacord

Octavia's lived the high life for years. Practice after practice paid off and she's risen through the ranks. Now, she works for the Royal Orchestra itself, toiling every day to produce perfection. Untouchable, practiced, impeccable...lonely.

Vinyl couldn't be any lower. Out of home, out of work, and nowhere to go but to a cold grave. Cast out and left to fend for herself, Vinyl has nothing, not even a friend to call her own.

The two cross paths.

A love story that many have known, and yet different. Both come in broken, beaten down people, their only hope each other.

Taking that one necessary step forward to begin changing our life for the better requires a lot of courage. We must hold out our hearts and open up to others who will help us, even if we're scared of getting hurt. Life will not wait for us, so we must chase after it with all we've got. No matter how hard, how far, or impossible it may seem. We've got to find our happiness.

This is the story of one such changeling as she takes those first steps forward, her whole world changing right before her eyes.

((Cover art drawn by the fantastic Little Tigress.))