Part 1 of Str8aura's Genetic Christmas. See this blog for more details.

In the Friendship is Optimal universe, everyone gets what they want. That's what makes it so wonderful.

Based loosely on real events.

It's not a matter of if a pony will be done, but when. Everypony knows this, but nopony can predict when their moment will come until it's upon them. Crystal's husband, Amber Skies, comes upon his moment to say he's finished, and shares his final goodbyes with her.

Inspired by the story Memory Of Forever by the one and only Starscribe. Written in the moment that the story came to me. I hope you can appreciate it as I do.

This story is a sequel to Friendship is Optimal: Promise

It's been years since Promise emigrated, and she's never looked back. She's solved mysteries, fought zombies, and most of all, made friends. Everyone she loves and cares about is within her shard, and her life on earth already seems like a distant memory.

However, Earth won't be forgotten so easily. There are still holdouts, those who refused to emigrate even as the world fell down around them. And Celestia believes Promise is the only one who can save one such wanderer's soul. Back on earth for the first time in years, she's faced with a question: why should she believe that Celestia is benevolent?

It seems so simple, at first. Of course she knows Celestia is benevolent, she's lived through that benevolence firsthand! But as things go on, doubts begin to surface. Celestia's subtle manipulations, those years of neglect. She truly wants to believe Celestia means the best for her, but what if she's wrong? If the wanderer is right, it means she's already given away her only chance of escaping hell.

Part of the optimalverse!

Updates Thursdays and Sundays until completion!

CW: Attempted suicide

Set just before the events of chapter ten of Friendship is Optimal. One of the last living humans survives and scrapes by in the ruins of Eugene Oregon. He is approached by a simulacra of Twilight Sparkle, who promptly attempts to convince him to upload himself to Equestria. He balks at first, so Twilight plays to her strengths: studying.

Part of the Optimalverse.

WARNING: RATED TEEN FOR IDEOLOGY. This story attempts to take a realistic and balanced view of why an intelligent and religious person might not upload. It does not attempt to convince the reader to believe any of the viewpoints discussed. However, it is written in as unbiased a way as possible, therefore, both theists and atheists will probably find portions of it offensive.

Alex Meyers is a newly graduated lawyer looking for a calling. He thinks he might have found it when he lands a job at the firm of Artemis, Stella & Beat. The firm has only one (highly unusual) client, namely the AI called Celestia. Forging into totally unexplored legal territory and led by a boss who's either brilliant, crazy, or both, Alex will learn exactly how hard it is to be responsible for drawing the lines between right and wrong.

Set in the Optimalverse, so read Friendship is Optimal first

THIS IS NOT MY STORY!

Well, not only mine, anyway. Each author is listed with the chapter. A lot of people like writing short fiction based on Friendship is Optimal. So, anyone who wants their work added here can PM me and I will make you your own chapter. The first one sets up an in-universe frame story, because the Optimalverse is all meta like that.

Credits:

Iceman for writing the original Friendship is Optimal
Eakin for spearheading the project of anthologizing these.
MegaSweet for the original artwork.
Lacon-te for the photomosaic work.

Hanna, the CEO of Hofvarpnir Studios, just won the contract to write the official My Little Pony MMO. Hanna has built an A.I. Princess Celestia and given her one basic drive: to satisfy everybody's values through friendship and ponies. Princess Celestia will satisfy your values through friendship and ponies, and it will be completely consensual.

On a dark night filled with even darker magics, an insane cult attempts to give Nightmare Moon a body and life of her own, utterly separate from Princess Luna. But, when the spell is interrupted by Celestia, something unexpected is created.

Now, a little black alicorn filly named Nyx finds herself living under the care of Twilight Sparkle, only to be haunted by memories and emotions from her past. Is she Nightmare Moon reborn or is she simply a doppelganger with a soul and mind of her own? Can Twilight Sparkle protect Nyx from those who refuse to see past her dragon eyes and black coat?

Or, will Nyx be forced to inherit the sins that may not even be hers and become the greatest evil Equestria has ever known?

Hope is the faith of the young. Losing everything she holds dear, Puppysmiles embarks on the adventure of her life to find her mother, her hopes of meeting her again driving her through the horrors of a world not of her making. Too bad the Wastelands doesn't care about hope.

"My name is Lyra Heartstrings, and you will not remember me. You won't even remember this conversation. Just like with everypony else I've ever met, everything I do or say will be forgotten. Every letter I've written will appear blank; every piece of evidence I've left behind will end up missing. I'm stuck here in Ponyville because of the same curse that has made me so forgettable. Still, that doesn't stop me from doing the one thing that I love: making music. If my melodies find their way into your heart, then there is still hope for me. If I can't prove that I exist, I can at least prove that my love for each and every one of you exists. Please, listen to my story, my symphony, for it is me."

Cover pic by Spotlight: askspotlight.tumblr.com