This story is a sequel to A Changeling Builds a House in the Everfree Forest

The venerable lords of cinders return once more to Ponyville to attend a 'welcome-to-Ponyville' party. Zarathon hopes to announce his vassalization of Ponyville during these favorable circumstances. Mute is there to support his fellow Lord in this quest. However, Ponyville might not be as receptive as Zarathon thought to the idea of having a pebble liege-lord, and neither Mute nor Zarathon can feel the encroaching darkness from the Everfree forest.

(The death tag was added due to the brief mention of death in the story. The sex tag was added due to the mention of lust and suitors. I think at least that is how these tags are meant to be applied due to the content of the story. There is no explicit scene of death or sex in this story.)

Twilight and her friends know the routine. The Cutie Map summons one or more of them by making their cutie marks glow and flash. They come to the castle to answer the summons then depart to some distant part of Equestria to solve a friendship problem. They've all done it many times before.

But whose cutie mark is that? It's not anypony in Ponyville. Or anypony Twilight's friends have met.

What's a pony to do when one morning their cutie mark starts glowing, and they have no idea why?

"Sub-Level Five doesn't exist." That's the official statement of the Stairway company.

Washing out from the Night Guard program is usually a death sentence to any similar career. When Astral Sentinel was asked if he was interested in a security job, the Thestral obviously jumped at the chance.

There was just one oddity about the job. Well, there were quite a few, but mainly just one.
He just never, ever could acknowledge the existence of Sub-Level Five.

When a complete lock-down traps the Thestral inside the odd facility, he has to break that one rule. As the security systems begin to eradicate all life inside the building, Astral has to venture down to the elevators that officially don't exist, to a floor nopony alive will speak of.

He soon finds out that some things are best left buried beneath rock and stone.

*Warning. Hitchhikers may be escaped convicts.

"This story is simultaneously horrifying and adorable." -Witchery

Takes place far after Season 9. Although, it could take place at any time...(or in the Radverse, as some people call it.) This thing took on a mind of its own.

Seriously.

Read on if you want to join Astral for the ride.
I hope you brought your crowbar.

In later chapters, loose spoilers for Timeless, Sunspots, and Cure for a Toxin
Warnings for creepy atmosphere, gore, violence, and brief mentions of sexual content/assault (nothing explicit, only implied.)

Despite this being a horror story with unpleasant elements, it's not grimdark or a depressing tale. Lots more ups and downs, but overall it's a positive read of good vs evil, love and fluff; those are the types stories I write, after all. I just want to let everyone know what they're getting into, and don't want any readers blindsided due to some of the content.
(Not a romance involving a 'herd')

After Daring Do and Lyra team up and trek across the world to a remote cave looking for traces of a lost civilization, they find themselves confronted with a room containing a single door... and the guardian keeping it closed.

No one in Ponyville is certain why the strange bug-pony is at the market, nor why he is talking to the silversmith. Or well, the bug-pony isn't doing the talking. Which is the strangest part of all.

(I had no better cover art really.)

(Featured on 2021-11-27. Thank you all.)

(The story was 1st on featured and passed 150 likes on 2021-11-28.)

(The story is still in the featured feed on 2021-11-29, I am super grateful for all your support.)

Investigating primitive radio transmissions detected on a long-range Federation listening post, the Enterprise investigates a planet far in the unexplored border space of the Alpha Quadrant. There, they discover a primitive planet just starting its industrial revolution--a planet complete with extensive lunar colonization and in the process of launching its first warp-capable ship.

The failure of the alien ship initiates first contact--with a race of adorable talking horses. A first contact with some unique diplomatic idiosyncrasies--and hints of a more sinister plot behind the warp-vessel's destruction.

This story is a sequel to A Changeling Goes to the Market

After the strange event at the market, Ponyville is on edge. Some ponies call for the capture of the strange bug-pony and others are simply too scared to go and talk to it. Twilight decides to head into the Everfree to find the bug-pony and talking pebble. She learns some strange things about them in the process.

(Featured on 2021-12-02 and marked as hot on 2021-12-03. Thank you.)
(Both this story and its prequel is on the featured feed on 2021-12-03. That is seriously high praise and I am so happy you enjoyed these two stories.)

Blurb

What exactly did Pinkie Pie do during the time she held Discord's power? An Equestrian intelligence officer leaves a message to her successor on what little they know so far. Warning: Superintelligences and existentialism

Author's Note

Inspired by The 21-Second God, though I ended up taking it in a different direction than good ol' Squiddy.

Charlie Stross Was Right.

Vaguely planning more stuff about the Equestrian intelligence services, recontextualizing all the episodes of the series one by one to various degrees. If I end up doing that, this story will end up being one of the capstones. It'll also be a long while before I start it, if I ever do.

Also left two (2) lines from literature in there. It's possible I left even more than that inadvertently, considering I tend to repeat cool things I hear. But if you catch them let me know!

A week ago, Appleoosa Station suffered a critical reactor failure that resulted in the station's complete destruction. By absolute miracle, a single tramp freighter piloted by a brave young pegasus escaped the destruction - and carried two hundred of the station's residents to safety in its hold.

Young Scootaloo has been widely celebrated for her bravery, ingenuity and talent in saving so many lives.

Problem is, the version of the story she insists on isn't the same as the official accounts.

Written for the Science Fiction contest.

Proper credit for the inspiration/original form/etc to the legendary Leslie Fish and her work on the nearly-lost filk album Carmen Miranda's Ghost. In particular the song which inspired this fic, Some Kind Of Hero.

Featured 11/30/2021 - 12/3/2021!

Featured in 25 of the Best Fanfics to Read for Cutie Mark Crusader Day on 11/20/2022!

Celestia travels to a far corner of her kingdom to investigate a rumor about a colt with strange, illicit cutie marks. She meets Radish Root, a boy whose marks make him an anomaly in the fabric of Equestria, a mystery to himself, and an outcast among society.
When Radish joins the Royal Guard just prior to the return of Nightmare Moon, he finds his life being complicated by all the changes coming to Equestria. His marks will lead him into adventure, intrigue, and trouble... but will they ever lead him to answers?

Proofreader: Slavenger Karl
Cover Art Gallery
Table of original characters
A reader is translating this story into Spanish. Check it out here.