Pinwheel is a simple earth pony. She lives in a little cottage outside Sweet Apple Acres, she makes pinwheels for a living, and she has plenty of friends. But one day, when she goes flying with her good pegasus pal Dizzy, she takes a fall and lands in the dark crossroads between life and death! If that's not bad enough, the Grim Reaper is forcing her to bargain for her life! And what will she do when that bargain takes a somewhat more...personal turn?

During Rainbow Dash's first interaction with her friends' Pony Pet Play-Date, she was determined to get herself a pet. However, the way she went about getting one didn't sit well with one particular pony. Having had enough of the Pegasus and her lack of compassion, Twilight Sparkle makes both a brave and stupid challenge that leaves Dash and the rest of her friends wondering if she had gone insane. However, Twilight was determined to teach Dash a lesson, even if it meant getting humiliated. What fate had in store for the unicorn and Pegasus was not what anypony had expected, especially Twilight and Rainbow themselves.

Applejack. For too long, that has been the only thought in Rarity's head. Finally, she will go all out to find out if the mare she cares for could ever return her feelings. The stage is set. The night is planned. Even the cutie mark crusaders will not be able to mess this up for her.
...Or so she thinks.
When Scootaloo is injured, and a certain secret revealed, the element of generosity is put to the test.

If you ask Applejack, she’ll tell you Pinkie Pie can be a few apples short of a bushel even on the best of days. They’ve always been good friends, but nothing more than that. After all, what could a hard-working apple farmer and a sugar-crazed party pony possibly have in common?

As it turns out, the answer to that question may not be a pleasant one, but something good may yet come of it.

In the middle of the night, Princess Cadence and her husband are woken by the news that a Changeling drone has been captured. The creature is alone and unaggressive, showing no wish to attack or change shape. Its fate is decided without much difficulty--as an obvious reject of the Swarm and a threat to Cadence's people, it must be destroyed.
But this is no ordinary drone. It can speak, and appears to be separate from the hive mind of the Swarm. It claims to have been sent as an ambassador--Chrysalis, queen of the Changelings, wants to forge an alliance with Cadence's kingdom.
But why now? Why send this strangely intelligent drone? And how will Cadence's people react to learning that their rulers are harboring a Changeling?

WARNING: Contains an OC, much headcanon speculation, and possibly violence/gore further in.

(Image courtesy of the talented Hero, my good friend and artist.)

You know what they say once you hit rock bottom...

A day of applebucking has Rarity fed up with Applejack. When the unicorn expresses her frustration in the oddest of ways, Applejack is left befuddled and confused. After some thought, the country mare goes to confront her friend. The discussion they have about it is nothing if not vague. Will this incident cause a rift in their friendship? Or, will it become stronger?

What happens when you realize that your feelings for one of your friends aren't quite the same as your feelings for the rest of them? Do you just prefer some friends for others, or is it a sign of something deeper? What do you do with those feelings? Hide them? Admit them? And how will the rest of your friends react when they find out?

Twilight is going to have to do her best to find the answers, because they're anything but obvious.

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Yes, this is a story about romance, but I'm trying to use it to explore the relationships between the characters and see how they'd really react if romantic feelings ever did crop up, and how such a development would impact the cast as a whole.

Now with a TvTropes page!

There's also a dramatic reading in progress on youtube, here.

And also an updated verison of the cover, courtesy of Novel Idea.

One would think that the wounded Trixie would appreciate Twilight Sparkle taking her in to nurse her back to health. But for some ponies, leaning on someone else isn't so easy. Their crossing of paths sets them both on a journey that neither of them would've expected...

“Hey RD! Come pick me up at the ’Acres at seven. We’re goin’ on a date tonight.”

“What?!”

Applejack seems determined, Rainbow Dash tries to catch up.

Original Story idea by Tchernobog and Steel Resolve.
Title, pre-reading/editing assistance, and an apple cart full of awesome ideas courtesy of Tchernobog.
Post edit pre-reading by Zaphod.

Proudly part of bookplayer's AppleDash Primer; Featured on Equestria Daily 10/09/13

Scene markers were created from these.

Original vector by Are-you-jealous modified with permission.