This story is a sequel to Friendship is Optimal: Promise

It's been years since Promise emigrated, and she's never looked back. She's solved mysteries, fought zombies, and most of all, made friends. Everyone she loves and cares about is within her shard, and her life on earth already seems like a distant memory.

However, Earth won't be forgotten so easily. There are still holdouts, those who refused to emigrate even as the world fell down around them. And Celestia believes Promise is the only one who can save one such wanderer's soul. Back on earth for the first time in years, she's faced with a question: why should she believe that Celestia is benevolent?

It seems so simple, at first. Of course she knows Celestia is benevolent, she's lived through that benevolence firsthand! But as things go on, doubts begin to surface. Celestia's subtle manipulations, those years of neglect. She truly wants to believe Celestia means the best for her, but what if she's wrong? If the wanderer is right, it means she's already given away her only chance of escaping hell.

Part of the optimalverse!

Updates Thursdays and Sundays until completion!

CW: Attempted suicide

The unicorns turned, and now monstrosities roam the streets and docks of Vanhoover.

Flash Sentry takes everything one day at a time as he tries to survive in this more unforgiving Equestria.

Red tags for later moments in the story. Nothing too graphic.

This story contains LGBT themes. (Emphasis on Gay).

An entry in the And Hell Followed Contest.

Preread by The Sleepless Beholder.

Rainbow Dash was never into dresses, make-up, or styling her mane, but it's not like she gets mistaken for being male or anything. At least, not until she wakes up in a world where she's the closest thing to a stallion her friends have seen in months.

A bit RGRE? Mostly for comedy, really.

If you haven't heard of RGRE, the story might actually work a little better, but here's a definition anyway since it was requested: RGRE stands for Reverse Gender Role Equestria. Basically, females are the dominant gender. Causes, consequences, etc. vary from story to story.

Today, I will tell you the story of the lost book of prophecies...

Overnight, the Void awoke, threatening to destroy all worlds. Once again, Twilight was chosen to be the savior, this time by traveling the multiverse to rescue it from an untimely demise. The journey will be long, come with many friends, several enemies, and test her like nothing else ever has. Each world has its own rules, its own ways—but all are in danger from the nihilistic desire of a cackling Count.

A reimagining of Super Paper Mario with ponies and a few twists. Every world Twilight visits will be a new crossover, and part of the way this story is structured is to encourage readers to guess what worlds are going to appear. No familiarity with any franchise is required to read the story, as is tradition with my crossovers.

Read this spoiler only if you want to know the surprise crossovers ahead of time. Updates whenever a new franchise is revealed:
Contains MLP, Super Paper Mario, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sonic X, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Chronicles of Narnia, Mario in general, Warhammer Fantasy, Numenera, and Final Fantasy

Cover by Hoodwinked MCShelster

Has nothing to do with Songs of the Spheres aside from opposing themes.

Edited by several people, most of which are part of my usual army: Pink Man, Mal Masque, Blaster Master, VoidTemplar2000, Guldringr, Shilic, Ponygood, and a few others helping out here and there.

-GM, master of Purity

Mark always knew he was... well, you know. But what was he supposed to do about it? Nothing, really. It didn't matter anyway. Nothing was ever going to change. Or so he thought, until a portal to Equestria appeared in his house. But with that portal, he'll be forced to acknowledge and confront what he is head on.

Preread by everyone's favorite writer, Starscribe. They've helped make this story ten million times better than it was before.

Cover art by CrimsonWolf360. You can find their work here.

A thousand years ago, our Goddess fought Nightmare Moon. When the Elements were activated, they banished all of Equestria underground, where we would be safe. I am a Prophet, All-Seer of the Church of Daylight. And our Goddess has granted me a vision that our efforts to reach the surface will finally bear fruit.

I can only hope Equestria's still up there.

This story is the sister story to Lover of the Moon, but both can be read independently of the other.

Coverart drawn by the incredibly talented Shaslan!

Thank you to my brilliant prereaders and editors: Zontan, Holtinater, Haphazred, AFanaticRabbit, Draconequues, Dioxin, Lofty Withers, Cynewulf, Red Parade, Vis A Viscera, Bill Cipher, Ruby, Flashgen, Moonshot, Luna, and to everyone that's supported me throughout the 3+ years of working on this fic and its sister fic.

And a special thank you to Axolu. You've encouraged me from the very beginning, and I couldn't have done this without you.

Vera was a teenager when human civilization collapsed. There was no global war, no brave final stand against the artificial intelligence consuming all she touched. It ended with a whimper, when the critical mass of skill and competence emigrated to Equestria, and global nation-states became unsustainable.

Many did not survive the chaos that followed, and even more were pressured into joining their loved ones at last within Equestria's digital embrace. But some, like Vera, resisted. They formed into little communities in the ruins of towns and cities across the old countries.

Years have passed, and those who remain have learned to fend for themselves in ways they never would have before. For Vera, that means work as a mechanic fixing tractors in St. Agnes, mending the dwindling machines that keep the community going for another year.

But when there aren't any machines to fix, she spends her time taking people out into the ocean, diving at many of the reefs and bays that once drew tourists from all over the world. Once she's beneath the waves, the frailty of her body and the sorry state of her species fade, and she can pretend the world is normal.

Soon even this final joy is taken from her, forcing Vera to consider help from a terrible source.

CelestAI has not forgotten her, or any of the residents of St. Agnes. It was only a matter of time.

Updates daily until complete.

Edited by Bitera, cover is Zutcha's.

This story was written for the Birthday Contest. It takes place in the universe of Friendship is Optimal. If you're unfamiliar, this story is a poor introduction. Check out the original first, or one of my other stories.

Tyler is your typical desk jockey; works at a desk all day, then plays games at a desk all night.

But when he accepts the duty of leading a small changeling hive in a dream, he finds himself woefully unprepared for the responsibilities thrust upon him.

Yeah, he did volunteer for it, but how was he supposed to know that some dreams are real?

Minuette has an imaginary friend. At least, that's what everypony else thinks.

When ten-year-old magic student Minuette comes into possession of an antique vanity mirror, she is surprised to discover there is a creature living inside: A bug pony with big fangs and glowing eyes. Most little foals would probably be scared of such a creature, but not Minuette. Armed with a cheerful smile, she decides to befriend the bug in her mirror and uncover the mystery behind his bewildering predicament.

It's just such a shame that nopony else can see him.

First Act Edited by Mister Hypothetical

Second act and on edited by Xanni & Brony2005

This story is part of 'The Bugs in Strange Places' series, whose other entries include The Bug in The Herd, The Bug in The Basement, and The Bug in The Cave. You do not need to read any of these previous stories to enjoy this one, as they are not directly connected.

Inspiration for this story comes directly from this fine individual right here.

It had been hard enough, being one of the first. With the walls dropped, leaving her nation, her herd, traveling to Japan and trying to exist among so many strangers... every day had been a challenge. But she'd tried. Day by day, hoofstep by hoofstep, she'd felt she was finding her place in the human world.

But now there are no humans. No other demis or liminals. Nothing to anchor her. She exists among tiny horses and the scent of their fear, or at least what little of it drifts into her cell.

For nopony can look at a centaur and see anything but a monster.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages -- and the TVTropes page just went live.)

Cover art by Harwick. Please contact him for commission rates & prints.

Trigger warning: character interpretation.