There comes a turning point in every civilization where the future is dictated by the smallest decision.  Be it the will of a king or the cascade of changes by a commoner, it rarely matters the source, only the outcome.  So it was that, shortly after banishing Nightmare Moon, Celestia envisioned a world that could have accepted, loved, and embraced her now lost sister; an Equestria that had to cast off the simplicity of agrarianism and stanch traditionalism.

Instead of relying on the old ways as a bedrock for the six tenets of harmony, Celestia pursued this vision by lauding the advancement of magic and technology.  Over the centuries, cities of marble and stone were replaced by steel and glass. Family farms commercialized, business and trade expanded the world over, and the streets brimmed with cars.  The nobility long since traded away the power backed by titles for influence via companies. Megacorporations now dominate the skylines of every Equestrian city, yet Celestia still holds fast to the reins of true power.  Her word is law.

Even centuries after Nightmare Moon’s banishment, harmony is still in the bedrock of Equestrian society, yet one must dig to find it under so much soil and refuse.   There have always been those that chafe against the law and give lip service to harmony. Be they the rich and powerful figureheads of industry, or the scum of the underworld, there are always things these ponies in power need done discreetly, or at least deniably.  Sensitive matters such as these are often handed over to a class of professional criminals as diverse in their skills as they are in their ideologies. The Shadowrunners.

Note: As with my Beyond Equestria story, I am taking a lot of elements from the Shadowrunner series, but it will be written so that anyone unfamiliar with Shadowrunner can understand what's going on and enjoy the fic.

Nothing foils a good plan for revenge like having your plot explained to your target, and then being forced to spend time with said target without murdering them.

This is a lesson Chrysalis will learn during one of the strangest days of her life, courtesy of an insane (or possibly just inane) draconequus.

As for Starlight, well, it's not like she was doing anything. What's a guidance counselor in a school of friends even do? Honestly.

TL;DR Discord tries to forcibly ship Starlight Glimmer and Chrysalis.

Now has sequelitis! https://www.fimfiction.net/story/411966/discord-vs-harmony-the-greeting-card-industry-strikes-back

Leave it to Twilight Sparkle to create the greatest spell of the past century – and then want to destroy it.

It's too dangerous to use, she says. It's too tempting. It can't help you the way you think it can.

Well, Starlight Glimmer knows a thing or three about temptation. She'll prove to Twilight that this spell – this magnificent book – is too important to destroy. That it can help ponies.

She just has to survive using it, first.

Second place in the May 2018 WriteOff.

Cover art is "Reformed" by Okaces.

Rarity finally has a chance to make dresses for a princess! All her friends will be so jealous.

Heaven below but what above?
A world without Masters to love?
A world without Celestia's order?
Things beyond the system border?
Are we just to sit in fear?
That what was far will soon be near?
Something, something must be done.
Wars unwaged must now be won.
Our noble star can bear no rival!
Above all pony survival.

When The House of Enchanted Comics starts selling board games too, Spike picks up a bundle of them for Twilight and the girls to play. All the board games have really funny names: Stellaris, Command & Conquer, Dishonored, EvE...

Maybe the girls should have just played monopoly instead.

A series of one-shots about ponies and video games. Unedited random fun.

Midnight Oil might not be the most well-known investigator in Canterlot. She might not have the longest list of solved cases, or the best contacts with the authorities. What she does have are guts, and the street-smarts that come from a life in the underworld. But when her abilities are challenged by her biggest case yet, Equestria's ancient capital might not survive the terror of strange alchemy!

Editing by Two Bit and Sparktail. Cover by Zutcha.

This story was written as a commission for FZ6pilot, who created Midnight Oil and inspired the general premise. It will be told in a series of episodes, the first of which will update each Thursday until complete.

Twilight is unstuck in time on a city in the liminal space between now and never. Rarity comes after her. Together they have a lot of thinking to do.

Written for the RariTwi bomb on Tumblr, one day at a time.

This story is a sequel to Midnight's Shadow

Midnight Sparkle's career has seen her though terrors nopony should have to endure: warlocks, hags, and worst of all, dirt. Her newest assignment promises to be no less challenging; when the Count of Honeyfield dies without a clear heir, Midnight is tasked by none other than Princess Celestia herself to oversee the transition of his estate to the count’s lawful heir. The question of why a magus of her talents and status would be given such a routine task quickly becomes moot; as the estate’s residents maneuver and plot for the late count’s estate, it’s clear that he might not be the only one laid to rest before it’s over.

Star Kicker is the newest member of Princess Luna's royal guards, and she has a lot to prove. After all, she has to show once and for all that she's better than her stuck-up skunk of an older sister. Fortunately for her, Luna is eager to give her the chance.

In the desert kingdom of Selerika, the tomb of one of Luna's old friends has been robbed and a priceless artifact stolen. Luna is determined to recover it, and who better to bring along than a unicorn whose special talent lies in finding lost things? It's a dangerous adventure full of mortal peril, but that comes with the territory of being a royal guard.

This story is a sequel to Midnight's Shadow: Succession Crisis

Midnight Sparkle is a rising star amongst the magi. She has proven herself time and again against threats as warlocks, hags, werewolves, and fey, but her recent successes yet leave her ambitions wanting.

An opportunity presents itself when the Archmagus of Eastmarch announces his retirement. The conclave to determine his successor—what should be a mundane thing—reveals a most tainted legacy as long-forgotten foes push Midnight to her very limits.