When Fluttershy went to bed, she was a normal mare. When she woke up, she could see numbers floating over everypony's heads. They were timers, each one counting down to some unknown event. Most ponies had timers that wouldn't end for years, some for many decades. But everypony had different numbers.

So why does Rainbow Dash's timer end in three hours?

Editing provided by TheMaskedFerret and SolidFire.
Cover art by HopefulSparks!
Spanish translation by SPANIARD KIWI!

Celestia and Luna have just announced their intention to retire and pass the throne to Twilight.

Before everyone can start assuring Twilight she'll do great as ruler of Equestria, Twilight refuses and explains why it wouldn't make sense for her to take the throne. From there, the conversation swerves.

This is a story for those who think Celestia and Luna retiring is a bad idea, and that Twilight found her true calling as a teacher rather than a ruler.

Featured: 8/22/2020 - 8/26/2020

In an Equestria where the mirror portal didn't exist; a very different fate awaits Sunset Shimmer.

For as long as Equestria Online existed, Ashton has been involved with 'the Scene' tearing it apart. Selling 'spells' for the game to do things that most ponies in Equestria couldn't, using faint exploits in its API to erode the barrier between the game and the rest of the internet. He had no illusions about the superiority of his work--but so long as he respected CelestAI's boundaries, his spells kept working.

But then his best friend's sister got cancer.

Now there's no spell in the world that can keep him from emigrating to be with her, leaving Ashton alone. All around him, civilization's thin veneer crumbles as homes empty into Equestria. But Ashton isn't going to emigrate, not if he has any say about it.

The problem for Ashton is that humans are systems, and aren't immune to exploits either.

Part of the Optimalverse universe of stories. If you've never seen a story in this universe before, you might want to try out the original first, or at least my first. None of my previous work is required to understand this one, however.

This story was commissioned by Two Bit, who requested a more serious exploration of identity, transformation, and the fae nature of CelestAI.

As usual, particular thanks go to my editors Two Bit and Sparktail. And gratitude to Zutcha as well for the cover.

The five-mile Mackinac Bridge, holding the two peninsulas of Michigan together, never ceases to amaze me. But after working as a maintenance crew member for many years, you never know what it’ll throw at you, especially when there’s something cuddled up inside.

This is another entry in my 24-hour fics collection, although it took me closer to four days due to family shenanigans and life. It still feels like a 24-hour fic to me.

Proofread by Thesomkinguy

Rainbow Dash is old and sick to death of being on 'wing rest'. She knows she's got more left to give, and she wants to give the world one last sonic rainboom. No matter what the cost.

TW: suicide mention.

A retrospective look at Rainbow's life, as told by Rainbow as she goes on one last herculean journey. Originally a speedwrite for the 100th contest for Quills and Sofas, now doubled in length and fleshed out more. Special thanks to all the Quills and Sofas members who edited, especially Flashgen.

Why do they keep coming back? Maybe it's wounded pride: they were humiliated once, and so they have to get one con over on Ponyville to heal their egos. Or a lot more than one, given all of the successive embarrassments. But either way, the brothers have returned to the scene of their crime(s) so often as to give Pinkie a tail twitch configuration just for their presence. Something which leads her and Twilight to a huge tent in the Everfree, one which has free drinks, slot machines, and happy ponies who haven't lost so much as a tenth-bit.

They can't lose.

As far as the latest con goes, that's just part of the setup.

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

Cover art taken from an image created by DrXFizzle.

Rainbow Dash pleads Twilight to proofread her Daring Do fanfic. However, not all stories are destined for mass success.

This is an entry into my 24-hour fics collection.

Proofread by Lofty Withers

Now with an audio reading by Pony&Wolf Productions

Rainbow Dash isn't much of a farmer, even if she is dating one. But when she gets a letter from a pegasus farmer begging for help with her unusual farm, she and Applejack are going to find themselves in over their heads when the problem is even bigger than they could have imagined.

Written for Appledash Contest #6 - Go Big or Go Home

Content Warning: she big

A story set in an Equestria that could have been...

Rarity, the personal student of Princess Luna, defeated Daybreaker with her new friends and reawakened the lost Elements of Harmony. With Princess Celestia's return, the long-lost tradition of the Summer Sun Celebration is going to be revived for the first time in a thousand years - but first Celestia will need to reclaim her power over the Sun!

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Don't worry, there's no previous story you missed that explains the setting. I was thinking of which characters could have their roles swapped, and I got to thinking - what if I just switched everyone? Depending on how people like this, I might write stories centered around other swapped pairings.

Written for the Secrets: A Swapped Roles Contest

Thank you to all my readers! I couldn't do it without you.