Community service isn't exactly fun. Sunset Shimmer is learning that the hard way—especially when Saffron Masala keeps cooking extra meals that their soup kitchen couldn't pay people to eat. It's not fun, it's not worth it, and it's never ever ever going to change. And... for some reason, it seems Saffron's okay with that.

Now, six Wednesday nights out from the disastrous Fall Formal, Sunset decides that she might as well ask Saffron why.

Written for the May Pairings 2024 contest. Special thanks to my editors Octavia Harmony and Monochromatic, and to all of my wonderful prereaders. Art by me!

Fluttershy's always felt more than a little different from the other foals her age, but it wasn't until recently that she came to terms with one of the reasons why that might be. Her best friend, Jet Stream, has always supported her, despite how different they are...but he's been acting a little weird lately. Fluttershy wants to believe it doesn't have anything to do with her, but she's the only thing that's changed recently. Is she going to have to choose between her true self and her only friend, or is there something else entirely going on?

This story contains transgender themes.

"The first time I came back, I thought it was a miracle. By the fifth or sixth time, I knew it was a curse."

Death is a reasonable fear, but it is also a constant reassurance. A promise that no matter how bad things get, they will one day end.

That promise was broken, leaving Rainbow Dash to pay the cost.

A very last minute entry for the 2024 SciFi Contest III.

Special thanks to ScreamQueen and Rb for prereading and valuable feedback.

General content warning: Some depictions of blood, death, and debilitating injuries, but no graphic descriptions. Some existential horror.

Somehow, I've always known.

Cover artwork courtesy of Cloud-Drawings on DeviantArt.

My entry for the Dialogue-Only Contest!

Welcome, my little pony, to the happy home I've carved out far beneath the earth. Please forgive the mess, guests don't drop by very often and I've been here in the dark alone for so many, many, many years.

Dedicated to centipedes because they are super cute.

Fluttershy and friends gain access to this website, but quickly find themselves trapped within a paradoxical situation.

Check out the comic where the cover art comes from!

Posted with approval from the staff.

Update 3/19/2021: _{A couple days after publishing this story, and after Fluttershy injected a hacking payload into the mainframe utilizing a quantum subspace frequency modulation algorithm, we were able to access hidden meta-data for this data endpoint and successfully remove ourselves from the causality loop. I am writing this message to preserve our efforts before we sever the connection, in the off chance that something like this ever happens again. With Love and Friendship, Twilight Sparkle.}

The Fire of Friendship has all but faded. One thousand years ago, Equestria fractured... those who disagreed with Celestia's rule left under the leadership of Princess Luna to found their own nation, their own way of life. Seventy years later, Celestia and Luna both disappeared during the first war, leaving the battered nations leaderless in their absence.

Over the last nine hundred years wars have frequently waged between Equestria and Lunaria, each seeking to unite ponykind under their own ideals. Equestria's mastery of magic often gave it the edge in battle, but never enough for a decisive victory. Peace reigns for now, but recent developments in Lunaria signal a shift in the balance between the two divided nations...

Another year older, another year grayer.

Things have settled into a routine for a while, but neither of them admits how dragging it is. The boredom and tedium of aging has started to wear them down.

After all, they saved the world multiple times, their businesses are incredibly successful, and all their friends and loved ones are happy, so why wouldn’t they be, too?

What is missing that makes them feel so hollow?

At least you still have your last friend in Ponyville.

The best part of your day.

And maybe, just maybe, she’s the answer to your emptiness.

The Elements of Harmony didn't work. Nightmare Moon won. Her beautiful night has been unending for over two years now, and her reign over Equestria is total.

Twilight and Pinkie Pie never gave up, even after everyone else did.

An infinity of praise be to Harwick for the cover art.

Granny finally admitted to Apple Bloom that Bright Mac and Pear Butter were just "missing". So she's taking things into her own hooves, with the help of her two crusader friends of course! The three brew a "Finding Spell" that will lead them to her long-lost parents at last, but she might not be completely prepared for what awaits her at the end of her journey...

Be sure and check out the fanfic reading/production here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugHtaO1Bvog&t=21s