I don’t question the “life” bar floating over my head, or my “EXP” gauge, or the little phantasmal boxes that appear whenever I look at an “equippable” object that show its “statistics.” It’s normal for small messages to appear in the sky every now and then, such as [System update in 2 hours.] My kind worships the Developers, higher beings that direct, create, and control everything we see. It’s all normal. This is how things have always been, since I was born. My father, my grandfather, my ancestors have all accepted and coped with these elements.

So why does everything feel so... fake?

My name is Twilight_Sparkle, and I know there’s something wrong here.

Co-Written by GaruuSpike and Chaotic Dreams.

(EDIT: This story is cancelled forever because someone sabotaged all of our attempts to write. You know who you are, and so do I, and I hope you're happy for killing it.)

Lightning Dust has seen better days. She’s on the verge of becoming a full-blown alcoholic, and her career is in shambles. She’s gotten so desperate that she even found a support group to help her work through her problems, but the first meeting turns out to be nothing like what she expected. This isn’t the gathering of former antagonists that she was looking for. In fact, some of these creatures shouldn’t even exist!

Twilight Sparkle's friends have lived long and happy lives. Now their time is coming to an end, but Rainbow Dash, at least, will not go gently. Twilight has the power to save her friend's life. Is it worth violating the natural order?

"The things that pull at your heart—the memorial in the prologue, the wedding in Chapter 1, the births and deaths and relationships to come—are not the point of the story: they are the stakes, and the story is at its heart about a decision that must be made."
—horizon

A student of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns stumbles upon a mysterious house in the streets of Canterlot, only to find it abandoned. Once the door has been opened, it can never truly be shut. Once the house has accepted him, he can never escape it.

His only hope lies hidden in the deepest chambers of Canterlot Palace, in this manuscript.

(A gentle warning: contains psychological horror and mention of but not graphic depiction of sexual activity.)

Cover Thanks to Beloved BonesWolbach

While she's providing veterinary care at the park, Fluttershy runs afoul with one of the more domesticated critters.

...Fluttershy would never kick a puppy on purpose, would she?

Editing by Formerly Committed and Shellsh0cker.

Dramatic reading here!

The weather could be better though ... so gloomy...

---------
Cover art from internationaltck. Used with permission.

Ponyville has a problem: Twilight's friends all switched Cutie Marks, and the musical numbers are flying thick and fast.
Lyra has a problem: She can't handle the way musical numbers get into your head and take you over.
Bon Bon has a problem with that.

(Pony Fiction Vaulted • Featured on EqD)

Reviews and other word-of-mouth:
"I just can't find words for how much I enjoy the ideas on display here. … I didn't expect to be rating something this highly, this quickly." –Bradel
"The Lotus Eaters was the story that made me realize horizon wasn't just good, he was really good. Then Fugue State showed me he was really good repeatedly." –Bad Horse
"a strange but intriguing story ... [horizon's] so good at this ponyfic lark that it's still a highly satisfying read. ★★★★" - Louder Yay
"This story is weird, and I mean that in a good way. … [Horizon] thought about how ponies might react if [musical numbers] were a constant in Equestrian life." –Chris

Fugue State now has a sequel!

Rainbow Dash turns thirty, and it's just like any week, month, year, or decade of her life.

They say that a pony's special talent is neither good nor evil - it just is, and it's what you do with your cutie mark that matters. But when you live in the vegan nation of Equestria, how do you live down a special talent for cooking meat?

(A gastronomic gift for a friend's OC. Double Patty and her image are the creation of ThisIsBobby.)

Rainbow Dash would rather do anything else than sit in an office and discuss problems she didn't have. Yet here she was, waiting for it to be over. Her only real hope was that Applejack would come to her senses before the next appointment.