The desert has long attracted thieves, raiders, and opportunists, each eager to plunder the riches of bygone ages. Time and time again, these outsiders need guides to find their treasures.

Sandstone Shine is one such guide. A young Saddle Arabian stallion, this time guiding a curious pony from across the sea. A crystal pony mare named Sapphire Oasis.

This story is a gift for my good friend Ahobobo, who did the cover art for it. It is part of my Long Dead Gods AU, but isn't connected to Vesperal Breeze's storyline within the same AU. The OCs were designed and written by me and exist in my AU, but belong to him.

Ocellus's life had taken some wild turns lately. The tyrannical Queen Chrysalis had been outed, replaced by the former AWOL Changeling Thorax. Now, the Changelings could live free, unshackled from doing the bidding of an uncaring queen.

Even better, she had been chosen to go to the brand new School of Friendship! She could actually go and receive a proper education that greatly overshadowed anything the meager Changeling Hive library had.

Only one task stands in her way: alongside her normal application, Ocellus has to write a "cover letter" expressing her personal reasons for wanting to go to this school. It had to be written from the heart; any sort of "business speak" would get her application trashed instantly.

Ocellus has no idea what to write for this.

Written for the writing prompt "The Winner Takes It All". Thank you to Smokey for his critique on my fic, as well as everyone else who has read it!

NOTE: This story takes place shortly before MLP Season 8.

Sandbar and Ocellus contemplate the nature of the changelings' main form of sustenance inside of a ring of magical fire. It's a nice bonding experience.

Glenda is Stygian's biggest fan in Griffonstone. (Not that there was much competition.)

Set a year or two after Twilight's Coronation and many years before the finale episode. Contains no S9 spoilers.

Note: M-rated sequel, "Beaks and Talons," available here.

Glenda is from the wonderful comic "The Convocation of the Creatures."

Winner of "Most well-written story" in the May Pairings Contest 2021.

Every single sentence this author wrote made the story come to life in a BIG way! I didn't once feel like I was reading a story. I felt like I was experiencing it, like I was right there, in the characters' shoes, feeling what they were feeling, seeing what they were seeing. It also helped me to get a better understanding of each character and love them on a deeper level. For example, let's take one paragraph from the story:
...
This kind of vivid imagery is found throughout the entire story, and the characters' voices help bring out their personality in meaningful ways that help you bond with them, to learn to love them beyond what the comics or cartoon give you. This was a no-brainer as the most well-written story in the contest.

Big thanks to Aragón for help with story structure, Wolfjack for trout en papillote, and  Steel Quill, Krack-Fic Kai, Sledge115, and Nitro Indigo for prereading.

Cover art via commission with Harwick. I love it and it is far better than I ever envisioned or deserved. 

This story is a sequel to Leading Causes

Twilight Sparkle has more than a little anxiety about Spike's upbringing. In the wake of the Molt and the Sludge fiasco, those anxieties are clearer and stronger than ever. Like any good caretaker, she took advantage of an opportunity to learn more about dragons, including their needs and, most importantly, their vulnerabilities.

What started as a casual conversation about death for Smolder spiraled out of control into a full-fledged princess freakout, one that she is in the middle of. When it becomes clear that her teachers are completely hopeless when it comes to dragons, it's up to her to take Spike under her wing and teach him what they can't, one lesson at a time.

After a surprising number of requests for a sequel to "Leading Causes", I finally came up with something of a quasi-anthology of Smolder's lessons to Spike. While I do have a fair number of ideas, expect sizable gaps between updates.

Rated for academic descriptions (but no depictions) of death, and possible future scenes of hunting and fishing at a level slightly too mature for an E rating. Warning tags may be added later if I, or any commenters, feel they're needed.

Dragons are something of an enigma to Equestria. Those who do live within the borders are largely reclusive, either building their hoards or sleeping away the decades. So far as dragons who are active in everyday life in Ponyville go, Smolder represents a 100% increase in the population.

Twilight cannot let this opportunity slip her by. Enough time has passed for it to not be a diplomatic faux pas to sit Smolder down and grill her for much needed details on her species, not only for the sake of science, but for the benefit of the young dragon in her personal care. Naturally, the topic of death comes up.

Twilight handles that about as well as you might expect.

Discussion of death is largely academic and intended to be comedic but I've tagged it teen to be safe. No actual death or scenes of violence are shown so I didn't think the death tag itself was needed. It's also tagged for comedy as that was my intent, but only you can tell me if it's actually funny or not.

Now with sequel: Growing Up Dragon

This story is a sequel to Queen Chrysalis Reforms (Accidentally)

Cozy Glow has a bone to pick with a lot of creatures at Twilight's School of Friendship, but six in particular stand out. During a small get-together with the other members of the Legion of Doom, Cozy Glow regales Tirek and Chrysalis with her plans for revenge!

At great length. Whether they want her to or not.

An entry into The Discovery — A Young Six Writing Contest

This story is in-continuity with Queen Chrysalis Reforms (Accidentally), but reading that story is not necessary to enjoy this one.

In this one-shot idea, Fluttershy asks her friend Discord if he would be interested in taking up the job as a teacher at the new School of Friendship. Discord agrees to teach them something if he were given a chance to test-drive it by having a few students to see if he would take up the job. What follows is a lesson on the meditations of Reniegh Haycartes.

A special thank you to DuskHeart13, The Hat Man and SashimiPony for taking the time of proofreading this.

Note: this and its sequels were written before "Matter of Principles."

Princesses Celestia and Luna would quite like to retire, now that Twilight Sparkle's ready to take the throne. But Twilight doesn't seem to have gotten the message.

Reading by Straight To The Point Studio

Thanks to Solstice Shimmer and MitchH for putting up with my random thoughts.

Cover image: this + this

This story is a sequel to The Last Decree

I, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, do hereby sign the Equestrian Heritage Act, approving its clauses and motions, effective immediately.

First Place entry in the Quills and Sofas Expanded Universe contest, written as a sequel to Zontan's The Last Decree.

Cover art by Snow Quill.

Featured on Equestria Daily, 6/18/21