Vinyl Scratch loves Octavia.

Vinyl Scratch doesn't care who knows.

But Vinyl Scratch should have cared more about who knew her secrets...

Now with a reading by FanOfMostEverything!

Or tries to, anyway. Several things get in her way, among them apple trees, the incompatibility of crystal castles and modern technomagical wiring, mass confusion, and at least one aggressively terrible joke.

In retrospect, she probably should've waited until the afternoon for this.

• • •

Mostly written on very little sleep and sort of inspired by this.

A note written in an unknown language. An escaped Nightmare bearing gifts. A young colt afraid of the dark. A pegasus in search of a predator.

It's that season. A collection of short stories celebrating that weird, creepy, beautiful holiday we call Halloween Nightmare Night.

Includes Marginalia, winner of the spookest October Writeoff in Writeoff history.

Ponyville has grown boring for Rainbow Dash. Sometimes, an entire week will pass between monster attacks.

What's a mare of action to do when her neighbors are all celebrating apples and hard work? When the weather bureau insists on gentle showers and sunny days, instead of something more exciting?

She has to find adventure, obviously. And when an airship captained by a pegasus pony flies through Ponyville one lazy summer day, dragging a flying iceberg behind it, Rainbow Dash realizes this might be the opportunity she's been waiting for.

But nopony ever said adventuring was easy.

What if there exists an actual after-life in the Optimal verse?

Based on the story Friendship is Optimal by Iceman, but contains some non-canon stuff.

THIS STORY CONTAINS RELIGIOUS THEMES. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Edited and proofread by Thraxus908, Xanathar, newbiedoodle, bobbananaville and AppleTank. A huge thank you to them all for the work!

Cover image is 'Nordingra in Summer5' by my brother sabrous, AKA Swedish-blacksmith. Used with permission.

In a yard, all alone, a pony whiles away the time caring for the lawn and the roses. Roseluck can understand that, to a point. And she's determined to help.

First-place winner in the /fic/ write-off "Lost in Translation."

Featured on Equestria Daily!

And now featured by the Royal Canterlot Library!

Reading by obabscribbler, Present Perfect, Goombasa, and Reverb Brony.

Rainbow Dash flies east.

We were the summer-sunset-wind, warm and wild and untouchable.

We were rulers of a crumbled-down kingdom, prince-and-princess of the sandstone sky.

We were long-day shadows, stretching ourselves dark and blurry past our breaking points and more.

We were pulsing breath-and-blood, flowing fast through veins of buildings and wide-open spaces.

We were rebels rivals friends lovers runners...

Until that moment, that second, when it all fell away.

Twilight Sparkle’s own body has betrayed her. Her life hangs by a thread, and her only hope of survival is a vital organ transplant. But when the sole possible donor turns out to be a young, healthy, and honourable pony, Celestia proves just how far she is willing to go to save her student.

In the decision to trade one life for another, the most serious casualty may be everypony’s ethics.

One night, just like that, Celestia realizes she's going to die in less than twenty-four hours.

Proofread by:

• Selbi
• Neko Majin C

Featured on EQD!

Polish translation made by Dolar84