The Grand Galloping Gala! An event that six mares had looked forward to for a long time, only to be met with disappointment when their dreams failed to come true. But what if they had gotten everything they had wanted?

Well, that would leave poor Spike all alone for the rest of the night, with only bad vibes and Pony Joe to keep him company. That is, until a certain Princess makes her royal return....

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?

Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns is famous across Equestria as a center of academic excellence. Only the best and brightest unicorns are offered places, selected by their academic merit, magical ability and passion for study. To make the admissions process as fair and reliable as possible, all candidates are given three exams by different teams of examiners, who then meet in private to decide which students are most deserving of a place.

Winner of the December 2014 Writeoff competition: Behind Closed Doors.

Blank Slate is the greatest thief of his generation. He has robbed countless nigh-impossible marks, and his talents as a master of disguise are beyond par - truly, nopony knows who he is.

And now he's preparing the greatest heist in mortal memory: the treasure vaults of the Princesses themselves.

But you have to get up pretty early in the morning to get one past the pony who defines when ‘early in the morning’ is…

Spoilers in the comments! Beware! Beware...

Audio Reading available - thank you ABagOVicodin
Czech Translation available - Thank you Keranis

Earth-pony Twilight Sparkle has always been a little "out there". But while testing her latest crazy idea, she finds that there are places even farther than that...

For more of this AU, check out the entire series:

• When Ponies Fly
• The Two Unicorns
• Pinkie Pegasus
• The Muse of Fire

This story is a sequel to When Ponies Fly

Earth-pony Twilight Sparkle and her friend Rainbow Dash visit a realm of forest and magic. And find that all is not quite right, in the place where the unicorns dwell...

For more of this AU, check out the entire series, starting with:

• When Ponies Fly

This story is a sequel to The Two Unicorns

Rainbow Dash finds out that asking your friends for help can lead to unexpected results. Especially if one of those friends is a party-pegasus named Pinkie.

Another visit to the world(s) of earth-pony Twilight, where things are not always as simple as they seem...

For more of this AU, check out the entire series, starting with:

• When Ponies Fly

This story is a sequel to Pinkie Pegasus

Earth-pony inventor Twilight Sparkle and her friends discover a world unlike any they've seen before -- a world of fire. And it may offer clues to the history of all the varied worlds of the Space Beyond. But only if they can manage to escape its dangerously powerful inhabitants...

For more of this AU, check out the entire series, starting with:

• When Ponies Fly

“Hey, Twilight. You’re up late.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Same.“

It’s two in the morning and everypony in Canterlot Castle is asleep. Everypony, that is, except for Twilight and Cadence.

Plagued by nightmares about recent events, the two soon-to-be sisters join together for a cup of hot cocoa, tears and deep conversations. Brace yourself; it’s going to be a rough night.

Featured: 09/18/2023 - 09/22/2023
Behind-the-page: Ladybugs Awake
Scouted for: Equestria Daily!
Featured in: Equestria Daily, 20 of the Best Fanfics to Read for Shiny and Cadance Day
Translation: Russian by NovemberDragon
Reviews:

• Worth It by PaulAsaran
• Passable by Ghost Mike
• Two Stars by Loganberry

Now with Patreon!

Mount Vehuvius is about to erupt for the first time in over five hundred years, bringing ruin to the town of Pommepei, and only Maud Pie can stop it.

To Applejack's bewilderment, she's not interested in doing that.

Originally written for Everfree Northwest 2023's Iron Author competition, in which it placed third. Thanks to Undome Tinwe for editing help!