Two passengers on a train ride toward an uncertain future. One is a pony. The other only pretends to be.

Sex is tame and non-explicit. Don't be afraid to read.

Written expressly for Equestria Daily's Outside Insight Summer Fanfiction Contest.

Now with a dramatic reading by Illya Leonov!

Russian translation courtesy of Arsus.
Chinese translation courtesy of viczhn.
French translation courtesy of BroNie.

Inspired by the artwork of RubleGun and Raddjuret. Musical accompaniment by Patrick Poe.

Featured at Equestria Daily and the Royal Canterlot Library.

Reader Testimonials

"Vinyl + Octavia is one of the fandom's most cliché and mismatched pairs, and yet this is a real romance with genuine depth and emotion." - horizon
"Holy shit this is impressive. Like... Holy shit, man." - Skeeter The Lurker
"You have crafted something wonderful here, a true gem. You should be proud." - Illya Leonov
"Note that I hate this ship when I say this is far and away the best ScratchTavia I've ever read." - PresentPerfect
"Fuuuuck it's so good!" - Luminary

Choosing the most important moment in Equestrian history is nearly impossible. Many moments shaped Equestria as we know it today—moments big and small that paved the way for monumental shifts in power, culture, and technological achievement. History is rich with such moments, but to us, one moment stands out as the dawn of a new era.

We believe this moment to be the day Pinkie Pie sought to lift the ban on yo mama jokes.

A finalist in the July 2016 Writeoff event, with the prompt "End of an Era".

Ladies do not avoid their problems. If a lady finds herself facing down a lonely Hearts & Hooves Day, she should smile and gracefully accept her lot in life, patiently trusting that more enjoyable times are on the way.

A lady certainly doesn't chase a stranger down the dreary streets of Canterlot, even if that stranger does turn out to be the Madam Inspector of the Equestrian Games. Loneliness and creative distress are no excuse for wild behavior. A lady should know better.

But Rarity has never been just a lady.

Spanish Translation from Spaniard Kiwi!
Silver medalist in the July 2016 Writeoff!
Gold place winner says nice things about it!
Gosh I love exclamation points!
Hahahaaa!

What Spike saw in the doorway of King Sombra's crystal palace hasn't left his mind. The fear of Twilight abandoning him haunts him through recurrent nightmares. Anxiety taunts him when he's at his most vulnerable, reminding him of all his failures, all his inadequacies, all his wounds.

One night, this fear and anxiety manifests itself in a full-blown nightmare, dragging Spike face-to-face with his greatest fear. What if Twilight never needed Spike in the first place?

Takes place right after the Season Three opener (before Episode Three).

Thanks to RGLloyd for editing.

Now Featured on Equestria Daily!

Now Featured by The Royal Canterlot Library!

Check out the YouTube reading by the awesome Chinchillax!

Check out another YouTube reading by DJ Tazzlez from Hive Radio!

Rated Teen for some dark elements.

After a stressful week at the boutique, Rarity decides to unwind at a local drinking establishment. Things quickly get out of hand.

"A gripping tale of mystery and intrigue!" - No one ever
"Love, laughter, tears. This story has it all!" - Don't quote me on that
"One of the seminal works of our generation. Truly a masterpiece." - Voice in my head
"You're adopted." - My mother
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*And it seems that there's already a reading by CaptainBron3y. Find it here. Thanks for the quick work, Cap!
*Another one by Stars of Night/Night Star.
*Seattle's Angels reviewed it. (Awesome group, definitely worth checking out!)
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Inspired by otakuap's piece "Argument," used here with permission.
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((I'm so sorry.))

Lyra wants—no, needs—to understand what's making Bon Bon depressed.

A bolt of fire, a mighty crash
A demon turns to powdered ash
Remember the day that Tirek died
And also the day the Princess survived
―Equestrian Nursery Rhyme

Every year, on the day Princess Twilight Sparkle saved Equestria from its greatest threat, she mourns the loss of who she was.

Preread by Waterpear!

Edited by Dubs Rewatcher!

Ballpoint Smudge has one job. It's not an easy one, but it's one he's determined to do to the best of his ability. The only problem is that as soon as he meets Twilight Sparkle, everything he's ever learned about princesses goes flying out of the window. He was expecting her to be regal, haughty and bossy. Instead she's warm, friendly and welcoming. Perhaps she's genuinely a nice pony? Nah. It's got to be a test.

Based on an idea by Ambrose Bierce, from his excellent Devil's Dictionary. Just look up 'Insurance'.

Featured at 12.30 GMT on 15/06/2016. I am very pleased indeed about that.

Spike feels like a Dragon without purpose and without anything to offer his friends. He leaves Ponyville without warning his friends, in an attempt to find his purpose on his own.
Princess Luna finds Spike and shows him the nightmares that his friends have been having in his absence, in an attempt to convince him to return to Ponyville of his own free will. Spike learns that dreams are the quickest road to the heart.
EDIT: 1000+ views! Thank you all so much. I consider this work to be my magnum opus, and I'm glad to see that it received some attention!

Every week, Equestria's princesses take a break from ruling their kingdom and discuss life. Usually over coffee.

Here are their assorted conversations.

Cover art by Grennadder. The story is marked complete because it's not a writing priority of mine, more a palette cleanser I come back to between harder projects