"Dear Santa Hooves. My name is Apple Bloom, and I don't want presents for Hearth's Warming this year. I just want my cutie mark..."

Featured on Equestria Daily -- January 18th 2013
Fanfic reading by Scribbler
Reddit page
Download link for the 'FROM THE DESK OF TWILIGHT SPARKLE' paper

NOTE: We've actually taken this story's concept and given it a massive makeover. Check it out here!

Two worlds. Two friendships.

However, sometimes it takes another Rainbow Dash to say what one can't.

Now with a dramatic audio reading by Goombasa! Thanks, dood! :D

This story is a sequel to More than Forty Blinks

Zecora has warned Star Swirl the 147th not to visit her homeland, but the alure of so many races weilding so many types of magic has made Zebrica too promising a location for Star Swirl's first trip out of Equestria. Why does Zecora fear for this trip? What secrets does the King of the zebras hold? Story three of the Truthseekerverse, but probably possible to read before the others.

Long thought lost to time, a copy of this work of literary genius has been recovered from the Crystal Empire’s central library. Dedicated scholars worked tirelessly to translate the text back from the Crystal Empire’s native language.

“I have never read anything like this and probably won’t ever again.” -Twilight Sparkle

“I, um, like the parts where the filly gets her cutie mark. That was... nice.” -Fluttershy

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Now on Equestria Daily!

Beta Reader Special Thanks
Sereg
BrokenHero0409
Thattagen
Invidlord
TerribleTransit

Special thanks to the You Will Select A Decision series for the stylistic inspiration.

She's the artist of the two of us. She's always been the dreamer, and she always drifts off somewhere between a fantasy and the stars above us. And I'll always be nearby to pull her back to the ground. Every day she shows me how to be more, and I show her how to be herself again. It's not perfect, but it works, and that's what matters.

Cover art provided by the wonderful Esle Ynopemos. (Seriously, check his stuff out. He's wonderful)

Cotton Puff is hardworking. Smart. Ambitious. She works long hours at the hospital, but still manages to squeeze in some time to unwind. All normal things for a mare her age.

Just one thing, though... she's kind of size-challenged.

She's the original. She won the paint-watching test, fair and square.

So why do the townsponies keep avoiding her? Why do all her friends keep whispering around her? And why does Twilight keep insisting that she isn't any good at baking or throwing parties?

She's the original. The best Pinkie. She won the test, fair and square. She's not some copy, not anymore…but perhaps being a copy would be easier than being herself.

Featured on Equestria Daily

Comments contain spoilers.

Partially inspired by Quadrophenia by The Who. The [Pinkie Pie] and [Other] tags together represent Pinkie Pie's clone.

Editing and prereading thanks; Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi, CDRW, Sereg, JapaneseTeeth, MidnightRambler, and especially Nonagon. If you liked this story, be sure to check out their pages too!

Now I'm to begin
The life that I'm assigned
A life that's been used before
A thousand times
—The Who, "905"

Celestia wants Twilight and her friends to loosen up a little bit around her. Luna just wants to try the hard cider. During a surprise visit to Sweet Apple Acres at the tail end of cider season, Princess Luna has just a bit too much to drink, and when she makes a rather inappropriate joke, Twilight comes to the very uncomfortable realization that she has never seen Celestia excuse herself to use the restroom.

Lyra Heartstrings' instrument of choice is an odd one, for a pony, at least. Then again, she had an odd teacher, too. When that teacher's legacy leads to Lyra being summoned before the High Council of the Griffin Empire, a desperate for work Gilda accepts a job as bodyguard for the unicorn, and the two become involved in events far larger than they ever could have imagined.

Trixie has always been thought of as a prideful, stuck up showmare. Little does anypony know, she has worn that mask all of her life, and nopony has ever looked past the face that she wears. After she lost everything she had, she had nowhere to go and nopony to rely on. Little did she know that a Glimmering Shadow would be the one who would penetrate the mask she wears.

This is a collab with InsanityCorps, big thanks to him!