What a beautiful morning. The sun is shining, the air is crisp and fresh, nothing could possibly go wrong. Good morning Twilight, good morning elephant. Oh what a day to be alive...

Wait.

An elephant?

Twilight, look out! There's a huge elephant right behind you! Oh my gosh, it's destroying the library! Now it's going into town! Twilight do something! Wait, why are you smiling? Why aren't you doing anything?!

The monster came from the Everfree, walking on two legs and using those horrible fingers to dominate the minds of everypony that stands in its way.

Just a silly stupid thing that I thought up and decided to share.
I am seriously amazed by the response I've gotten. Thank you all for giving it much more positive attention than it deserves.

Nopony really knows what Big Macintosh does on his free time. Nopony knows about his opinions, his views, or much of anything beyond the obvious. Not even his own family. One supposes he leaves a lot unsaid. Perhaps all of that is his business. But what is Big Macintosh often really thinking? What does he really do when he’s done at the orchard?

Day after day Spike helps Rarity with her work, and it always ends with him coming home dead tired and worn out. Worried about the consequences that this could have on him on the long run, Twilight confronts Spike on the matter.

Inspired by Continue by The Megas. Dedicated to Kamikakushi. Special thanks to Novablast.

Applejack, while surveying the border between Sweet Apple Acres and the Everfree forest, stumbles across a perfectly ordinary, garden-variety talking snake. In an apple tree. The mane six, of course, decide to be neighborly.

What's the worst that could happen?

A story with religious themes, funny and thoughtful in equal turns, and without any super-depressing grim-dark or blatant preaching. It was conceived, written and edited in just three days, and won first place in the "Deal with the Devil" Writeoff competition. You can find the original (unedited) version, along with plenty of other great entries, right here. It's been awhile, but be sure to check them out if you haven't already!

Zecora goes back to her village in Zebrica for a visit to find that it has changed dramatically since she was last there. A lot of progress has been made. However, Zecora's mother, Zarani, chief adviser to the village chieftain, is unsure if the chief's latest project is... constructive. She asks her daughter to use her experience and wisdom in dealing with this matter.

Flattered, but suspicious, Zecora accepts. After all, if her own mother cannot handle things, how is she supposed to?

Her name was Zecora. And she wasn't strange. So why did everypony treat her so differently? This is not a story of how she was eventually accepted, but rather a tale of how she was treated in the beginning. (Written as a challenge while listening to Solace by Jakob. Mild racism topic, acted rather than explained.)

Twilight unwinds after a stressful day of reshelving books with a new kind of tea, brewed from special herbs Zecora bought her. It's a philosophical journey she wasn't prepared for.

With a reading by AShadowOfCygnus

Donut Joe keeps his store open on Hearth’s Warming Eve. And why not? He doesn’t have anywhere else to be, and neither do the tired, bitter ponies who find their way inside.

But the Eve is young, and strange things lie ahead. Who knows what might happen on a night like tonight?

(Inspired by the song "Old City Bar," by Trans-Siberian Orchestra)

Reviewed by TheifofZ here.

A man goes to Equestria.
All he wants is to go home.