After a long journey collecting taxes from the rest of Equestria, Raven Inkwell is in desperate need of some excitement. Wintertime Ponyville delivers this in a drove of explosions and confusion.

Written for the TerribleSpeller for Jinglemas 2024.

In the wake of the Crystal Empire’s reappearance and King Sombra’s deposement, a thousand thorny legal, cultural, and practical issues need to be addressed by the ponies of both lands. But there’s one issue that’s blindingly straightforward: the thousand-year-old Equestrian State of Conflict Empowerment Act is still technically in effect, and until it’s revoked, Equestria remains—officially—at war with the Empire.

Under the circumstances, nopony in Parliament could possibly consider voting against its revocation.

Right?

*****

A peek at the sausage-making, inspired by GaraTheAuthor’s political fiction.

Written for the Springtime Sandbox-Slash-Sandbox Switcheroo!

Now available in Spanish, courtesy of SPANIARD KIWI.

In the aftermath of Tirek's rampage across the Equestrian heartlands in 1003ALB, the MP for North Meadshire addressed Parliament, questioning how things had been allowed to spiral so far out of control.
With communist revolutionaries in control of most of Severyana, Canterlot still bearing scars both physical and mental from the recent Changeling raid and hospitals now flooded with the injured, this proved to be the final straw that led to an investigation of the recent abysmal performance of the armed forces, spearheaded by the best and brightest civil servants in the land.
Four years on and with the glow of Hearth's Warming ebbing into memory, the Dotted Line Report was finally complete, and a copy had just found its way to the desk of Princess Luna...

This is a short story set in the Quenta Roccolië timeline of the world of the acclaimed Hearts of Iron 4 mod, Equestria at War. Featured as of 15th October 2022!
Rated Teen for injury in a nightmare.
Thanks to Advisability for betaing.
Cover art by ehfa
Appendices for this story: Parliament, Princesses and Peerage

A thousand year absence from the world would be disorienting for anyone, but when your job is Head of State, understanding how society has changed during your interregnum is vital. Princess Luna, banished in the age of the longboat and the longbow, has returned just in time for the launch of the tablet computer. With the help of her sister, she undertakes to understand the history she's missed and the people she finds herself among, in order to resume the duties of her title.

This story takes the form of a series of conversations between Celestia and Luna that take place months and years apart. It is openly concerned with political ideas and how societies are organised, and not at all concerned with monsters and magic beyond the conceit of immortal monarchs. The Alternate Universe tag is there because I will be ignoring every single one of the thousand year catastrophes that occur in the show after the Nightmare Moon crisis, the retirement of the Princesses, probably the presence of any other Princesses, and anything else in the show I feel like ignoring, because I find them irrelevant to the themes I want to cover.

In short, if you wanted The Audience with ponies, I got you covered.

This story can be considered canon to my comic works such as The Sunjackers, and my other associated worldbuilding projects, and uses the same date system as them (ie. roughly matching our own, with the return of Nightmare Moon happening the same year as the episode aired, 2010). May also be your jam if you like Equestria At War, but not affiliated at all.

What does a mayor do? On a good day, you get to nose over an award. It helps if you can make sure the weather schedule comes off on time. But more than anything else, it's about leadership. Taking responsibility for the safety and comfort of all those who live within your domain. That's how it's supposed to work. The mayor is the one who makes sure everything is under control.

This is Ponyville. Marigold is fully aware that on a typical day, approximately nothing will be under control. But when it comes to protecting those who live there, she still has to do whatever she can.

If there's anything left which she can do at all.

(Now with author Patreon, SubscribeStar, and Ko-Fi pages.)

Cover art from a vector rendering by DaAfroMan.

The business of government never stops, and paperwork never rests, even on Hearthwarming. But this particular Hearthwarming, Cabinet Secretary and tea enthusiast Dotted Line plans to do his level best to see it, at least, take a break. His ponies need to go home to their families, and he, well, he has plans this Hearthwarming.

To Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia, it is a simple surprise visit to Canterlot. To the ponies of the Equestrian Civil Service, it is twenty-four hours of chaos, politics, weaponized dessert, politics, underhooved manipulation of media, politics, and things batrachian and tentacular. Who said bureaucracy isn't exciting?

This story is a sequel to Your Money or Your Life

The cunning Queen Chrysalis is back, seeking vengeance upon all of the ponies! To fulfill her desire, but avoid unnecessary exposure, she decides to infiltrate the Crystal Empire and acquire aid from one of its very residents, by seduction, persuasion, or coercion if necessary. That way, she can plot away in safety, utilizing the fool until he outlives his usefulness!

Surely a professional and ambitious upstart with a shady background, who has just been appointed the new Imperial Tax Collector, is the perfect target.

… maybe too perfect?

This story is a sequel to Stand and Deliver

Prince-Consort Shining Armor is a stallion of honor and principle, law-abiding and diligent. So when he receives an urgent summon from the Imperial Tax Collector, he makes sure to comply as quickly as possible... even if not overjoyed to visit the Imperial Revenue & Customs.

Especially on the weekend which he wanted to spend with his wife and daughter.

Actually, speaking of tax collection and wives...

Idea, motivation and co-authorship – Copey.

Princess Cadance, just like everypony else, needs some time of leisure from her many duties. While Shining Armor is taking care of their daughter, Cadance enjoys her lone trips to the nearby Nephrite Forest, where she can be away from all of her burdens and obligations for at least a short while.

She was simply destined to get mugged eventually, wasn’t she? Why not by somepony who takes his job very seriously.

Also available in Mandarin Chinese (translation by keplebletbett) and Spanish (translation by SPANIARD KIWI).