Two passengers on a train ride toward an uncertain future. One is a pony. The other only pretends to be.

Sex is tame and non-explicit. Don't be afraid to read.

Written expressly for Equestria Daily's Outside Insight Summer Fanfiction Contest.

Now with a dramatic reading by Illya Leonov!

Russian translation courtesy of Arsus.
Chinese translation courtesy of viczhn.
French translation courtesy of BroNie.

Inspired by the artwork of RubleGun and Raddjuret. Musical accompaniment by Patrick Poe.

Featured at Equestria Daily and the Royal Canterlot Library.

Reader Testimonials

"Vinyl + Octavia is one of the fandom's most cliché and mismatched pairs, and yet this is a real romance with genuine depth and emotion." - horizon
"Holy shit this is impressive. Like... Holy shit, man." - Skeeter The Lurker
"You have crafted something wonderful here, a true gem. You should be proud." - Illya Leonov
"Note that I hate this ship when I say this is far and away the best ScratchTavia I've ever read." - PresentPerfect
"Fuuuuck it's so good!" - Luminary

Come, share a tender moment with the sun princess.

Edited by The Abyss

Pony Joe awakens before the dawn each morning, readies himself for his day, and then walks through Canterlot's cold and silent streets to his doughnut shop.

Life has become pretty mundane for Joe, but as he serves his customers and chats with his regulars he realizes that he has come to rely on that repetition...he relies on it to keep from remembering.

As a casual utterance by a new customer sends Joe into a spiral of haunting memories we learn about his life...and what he must give up if he wishes to move beyond his past.

With the time she has left, Rainbow Dash seeks what is truly important in life before moving on.

[2nd Person] [Silent Protagonist] [Pinkie Pie] [Romance]

After retiring from your music career as a talented musician in Canterlot, you move to Ponyville to live out your days in peace and tranquility. However, when a certain pink party pony forcibly involves herself in your life, you wonder how you're going to survive this onslaught of randomness, her obsession with parties, and why she can't keep her hooves off your hat.

Rated T for Mild Language, Suggestive Situations, and Black Top Hats.

Speak no evil, only breathe. Hear no evil, only listen. See no evil, only darkness... or so the tale goes.
Twilight Sparkle retires an old tome to the shelves one final time, having more than enough spooks for one night. Now with Spike away at Applebloom's, she can relax, because after all, a story is just a story... right?

Read this in the dark.
Fanfic Reading
Artwork here.