Little Lyra Heartstrings, a filly born to odd parents, is not a Canterlot pony. She has neither status nor treasure, and she is a stranger to the strange city.

Yet she has hope. For music makes possible what is impossible, and says what cannot be said.

Lyra never had a nightmare in her life, so why did she ever decide to compose a piece embodying the spirit of the night terror in honor of Princess Luna? More importantly, how will she find a nightmare to help her?

Also on: Deviant Art and Equestria Daily

To earth ponies, there is little more important than tradition. Foals grow up taught everything from family recipes, songs, dances, to folk tales passed down from generation to generation. Of these traditions, none is more valued than a proposal, an offer to entwine your life with somepony else's.

To Bon Bon, nothing is more important to her than Lyra, and nothing matters more than making sure that her proposal is perfect.

Now, if only perfection wasn't so elusive.

And if only it was as easy to grow flowers as every other earth pony makes it seem.

Preread by auramane, Melon Hunter, and Carabutt.

Cover art by Rossby Waves.

A web of lies can make for a heavy heart. When the pony you love turns out to have hidden their whole identity, what does that mean for a relationship?

Bon Bon and Lyra play sweet music.

Do not read this.

Starting over is never an easy thing to do. Lost, alone, and cold, sometimes a friendly smile and mug of cocoa are all that's needed to warm the heart.

And right now, Bon Bon is very cold.

Preread by Carabutt and Crystal Wishes.

Cover art by Rossby Waves.

Lyra always knew there was something more out there. She learned in her youth, when she became the victim of a bloodsucking horror that kept her enthralled to his twisted will, feeding on the blood of others to sustain itself. Until Bonnie came, and set her free with fire and bullets. After agonizing withdrawal, Lyra's body healed. But her soul was another matter entirely.

Now she tries to live a normal life, passing the day to day as a music tutor. But horrors still stalk her nightmares, lurking in every shadowy Canterlot alley.

As time passes, something deep in Lyra rebells at this vision of her world, where mankind are desperate prey always fleeing from dark things. Something is calling to her, a vision of a better world. Once her soul wakes to magic, it will never sleep again.

Unless someone puts her in the dirt, of course. Someone like her monster-hunting girlfriend.

Updates Saturdays.

This story is a tribute to the World of Darkness. Knowledge of its setting and characters is not necessary to read this--its lead character will have to learn everything right along with readers. But for the curious, I'm using 1st Edition Mage the Awakening, Hunter the Vigil, Changeling the Lost, Vampire the Masquerade, and Werewolf the Forsaken. It's primarily a mage story, but will include elements of the other books where appropriate.

This story started with the simple premise of wondering what Twilight and her unicorn friends would look like as a cabal of mages. But given how long I've been writing and how old the fandom is now, centering a story on Twilight felt too predictable at this point. I wanted to use one of the background characters as viewpoint instead. Everything else grew from that premise--making the changelings into changelings, some earth ponies into werewolves, etc.

Editing by Two Bit and Sparktail. Two Bit was also my enabler for this story. The cover was made by the fantastic Zen. I'm really happy with how this one came out.

For the Heartstrings family, Saint Paddy Wagon's Day is the most celebrated day of the year. They have long believed that the luck of the Neighlish flows through their veins, and that on Saint Paddy's Day anything is possible.

This year, Lyra decides to put that luck to the test.

Her target: local candy maker and longtime mare of her dreams.

Her tools: the indisputable luck this day will bring her and only the finest, corniest, holiday-appropriate, and most-guaranteed-to-woo pick-up lines around.

Bon Bon doesn't stand a chance.

Preread by Fahrenheit and Carabutt
Edited by auramane and Jondor
Cover by the amazingly talented Rossby Waves

Bon Bon reflects on her companionship with Lyra.

Golden Harvest very much likes to think of herself as the sensible mare of the earth. She's certainly not one for breaking a perfectly good daily routine: give Dinky a hot meal, take care of the carrots, try to remember when she last had lunch...

Unfortunately, it's Nightmare Night coming up, and she's going through one of the least productive (and therefore least profitable) months of the year. So of course Derpy takes the chance to ask her for help with something she should've done last week. And yes, she does need it ready for tonight, and no, she has no idea how to actually go about it.

However, Derpy is a mare on a mission, a pony with a plan. And there's nothing more terrifying than that, even on Nightmare Night.