3/14/24 Still Alive Edition

There's only one pony in Ponyville that the Mane Six have never met. Pinkie Pie has never thrown him a party, Applejack has never sold him a mug of cider, and Twilight has never seen him check out any books. And as far as that unicorn, Lapis Print, is concerned, that's exactly how it should be.

Lapis can't risk them knowing where he lives, what he does for a living, or even what his name is - if he gets his way, the Mane Six won't even know he exists, and nopony in Ponyville will miss him once he's gone.

It should be a piece of cake - after all, it's not like the biggest magical power in Equestria is about making sure everypony looks out for each other, right?

(Rated Teen for language - mental cursing mostly.)

After his violent defeat, the former tyrant King Sombra has managed to claw his way back from the land of the dead and has returned to Equestria to seek revenge on Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony. However, the Emperor of Darkness is no fool. He knows that he cannot simply seek retribution on the Main Six or the Princess of Day, so he waits, gathering intel on his foes, learning of their weaknesses. When the time is right, he will strike. Can our heroes overcome King Sombra's plot for vengeance?

Sequel: The Return of the King

*Note: This story takes place in my official headcanon universe, not in the one for Shattering a Heart of Darkness

Anonymous, asshole extraordinaire and a rotten egg by all accounts, has fallen on good times after being made a commander of the Storm King's vast armies. With the King's forces and equipment at his fingers, he's found great success conquering nations, sowing chaos, and kicking the asses of all walks of life. All while having a rip-roaring great time doing it.
But the day of the Storm King's biggest conquest to date - the nation of Equestria - looms just around the corner. All that's left now is the final few preparations for the invasion: loose ends to tie up, new weapons to seize, and even some co-commanders to annoy to no end. And once those are complete, Anon will be the first in line to take Equestria as his next conquest.
God help us all.

This isn't the first horse story I've written, but it is the first one that is prose instead of greentext. And I'm still a bit rusty on top of all that. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!

Everypony has a story. Some tell of heroic feats and grand adventure. Others tell of villainy against the forces of Harmony. The story of an average guard, however, is one of obscurity. They live in the background, unnoticed but ever-present.

Silent Knight assumed his tale would be like that of his father's: join the Royal Guard and serve Equestria. He would be just another helmet and spear, part of the rank and file. And that was all he ever wanted.

However, when Captain Shining Armor asked for volunteers to form a House Guard for the recently returned Princess Luna, it was Silent's hooves that stepped forwards to set his new life in motion.

It has been nearly a thousand years since Twilight Sparkle died. Celestia and Luna are gone. The Holy Equestrian Diarchy, ruled by a bigoted and brutal theocracy, has driven ponies apart and divided them along tribal lines. Unicorns are driven from society, feared and hated.

The lessons of friendship, painstakingly written down in the journal of friendship by Princess Twilight and her friends, have been warped and twisted to fit the Diarchy's hateful ideology. But to the average pony, this is the truth and reality of the world they live in, beset on all sides by enemies monstrous and magical.

Emberglow, a young pegasus mare, aspires to join the elite Knights, magically enhanced warriors dedicated to the holy Saints worshiped by the state religion. Can she uncover the lies and deceptions that have led the world to this bitter place?

Thanks to QueenChrysalisForever for prereading Chapters 1-24. Prereader for chapters 29-31 is MrRTS.
Prereading for chapter 34-? by Horsetorian
Additional pre-readers: bananachips/CommissarVulpin, Thought Prism, Chyre
Special thanks to my amazing editor, Cyonix
Cover Art by JodTheCod

Note on timing: I began writing this long before Season 9 aired, so none of those events happened as far as the narrative of this story is concerned.

Come join us on the Rekindled Embers Discord!

Edit: Featured 8/7/20! Yay and Thanks!

A simple Tunneler drone is catapulted from Equestria during the infamous Wedding to Planet Earth. Confused, injured and alone, the drone must figure out how to survive in an alien environment with all of humanity watching.

(Crossovers with XCOM, Men In Black and Stargate: SG1)
(Changeling on Earth fic / Available to hire artists for a cover art commission! Current Cover art by Ashinda on FimFiction)

(People have apparently been turned off by the whole 'pet' thing in the title; it's only relevant for a few chapters and has nothing kinky or lewd about it. )

Follow Speaker and his changeling brothers and sisters who, after the events of Canterlot, took it upon themselves to find a new queen. They found a portal in a deep cave and went through it, questionable circumstances aside. Now they find themselves in a world full of humans, and with a new queen!

Meet Catherine and her family as they cope with a gaggle of shape-shifting creatures who really do just want to fit in and be loved.

The problem is, Catherine's parents are not very keen on their daughter chosen to be the new Queen of the Changelings.

And the cat has gone missing.

The story that inspired the two short stories that lead up to this one!

FimFic Authors are In Your Bed by Admiral Biscuit

Which two stories, you ask?

Link to Estee's short story is here.

Link to my short story is here.

Sweetie was just a normal little filly, waiting for hearth's warming eve to arrive. That time of year when all little fillies are suppose to be happy and all hearts burn the brightest.

But when the latest Cmc stunt goes a little to far, Sweetie makes a horrifying discovery that turns her world upside down - and turn her friends against her.
Unable to bear the haunting looks of others, she runs away from home.

Thus - with the world seemingly stacked against her - she sets of on a journey to try and discover the truth behind her existence, and the secrets of her origin. And above all else if there is a place where she belongs.

Or will this be a heart's warming eve she'll be forced to spend alone?

(Warning: A Grimdark tale with scenes some readers might find both disturbing and heartbreaking)

Cover art by the amazing EstrosianHeaven.