Twilight Sparkle is a happy pony. With the help of her friends she defeated Tirek. She has a shiny new castle, the kingdom is safe, and she knows the reason behind her ascension. What more could a young princess want?

She is happy, she tells herself as she digs through the ruins of her home. She is so happy she can barely smell the ashes any more.

But in those ashes she finds something unexpected: a small porcelain vase, and with it a decade's worth of unspoken questions. A mystery hiding beneath her hooves, waiting to be put to rest.

Winner of the November Writeoff event.

A collection of short stories. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. All, hopefully, about what it means to be human.

Except, you know, with ponies.

I'm afraid of Changeling: Drone 42531 is insecure and decides he needs to see a professional, whether or not the professional wants to see him. [Comedy] [Random]

One thousand and one: A family keeps a long vigil, regardless of the cost. [Sad]

Uncoordinated: Twilight Sparkle and the Cutie Mark Crusaders conduct an experiment. Accidentally. [Comedy] [Random]

But the Greatest of These: Every pony has to grow up someday. Every dragon, too. [Slice of Life]

Wonder: Pinkie Pie's farm is grey. The sky is grey. Her sister is grey. The world is grey. Until, one day, it isn't. [Slice of Life]

The Apple of my Eye: Apple Bloom finally gets her cutie mark. It's not what she wanted. [Comedy] [Random]

Bookworm: Twilight Sparkle finds an odd message in her books. [Dark]

At the End of the Day: Just what does Pinkie Pie do in her free time? [Slice of Life]

The House at the End of the World: Some promises shouldn't be kept. [Adventure] [Dark]

Pantone Perfect: Rarity and Twilight Sparkle enjoy a refreshing argument at the spa. [Comedy] [Random]

Medium Rare: In which we learn the secret, scarring horror that was Fluttershy's first experience with a dragon. [Comedy] [Random]

One Thousand Flowers: How long do gifts take to grow? [Slice of Life]

Tempest: A pegasus teaches his son the nature of the rain. [Slice of Life]

No Natural Predators: The days have grown longer as the world winds down. [Adventure] [Dark]

Six More Weeks: The first day of Spring is a wonderful time to be a pony. Just make sure you get the date right. [Comedy]

Derecho: A daughter starts a long quest in a forgotten city.[Slice of Life]

O Death, where is thy sting? Human Flash Sentry travels across the multiverse. [Adventure]

The Lotus Eaters: Heaven is different things to different people. A Friendship is Optimal vignette.[Slice of Life]

Tour of Duty: Duty can be lighter than a feather, or heavier than a mountain. [Slice of Life]

Nickel-Iron-Cobalt: An explorer discovers a world without life. Perhaps. [Anthro][Adventure]

(Based on prompts from the Thirty Minute Pony Stories tumblr. All written in 30 minutes – give or take – unless otherwise noted.)

This story is a sequel to A War of Words - The Opening of the Guard

For centuries, the stallions of the Royal Guard have protected Equestria from every danger imaginable.
Now they face a new threat to their position that will not be so easy to defeat.

Mares.

The story of four mares who answer the call to guard Princess Luna, and the troubles they go through to gain acceptance and respect in their new jobs. Or it could be considered to be the story of four interlopers into a traditionally male role and the underhanded tricks used to secure their position despite their obvious unsuitability for the job. Pick one.

Cover photo credit to the fantastic MuffinExplosion at DeviantArt.

Thanks to my editors: Peter, MSPiper, Featherprop, Seether00, GameKnut and Tek

Author's notes on the development of the story and characters may be found here.
This is a sequel to A War of Words - The Opening of the Guard which is featured on Equestria Daily

Short stories about ponies and the things that happen to them, or don't.

Helper: Spike finishes the last of a long series of days helping Rarity with her chores. [Romance] [Slice of Life]

Court Song: Lyra, the court musician of Canterlot Castle, is first-hoof witness to an unprecedented event. [Alternate Universe] [Dark-ish (maybe?)]

Cumuliform: Rainbow Dash stumbles into a sudden existential panic. Clouds. [Slice of Life]

A Quiet Cave: Rumble returns to a small, dark cave, intent on nursing a wounded friend back to health. [Sad] [Dark]

The Snow Is Falling: Derpy finds a familiar friend in the form of winter. The caress of the cold is bittesweet. [Tragedy] [Slice of Life] (This might technically count as a prose-poem).

Darkness In the Sky: A reflection on Luna and the spirit of her guilt. (Another prose-poem). [Dark]

Party: Years have gone by. Pinkie Pie throws a party. Written for the /fic/ mini-fic writeoff For Old Times Sake. [Dark]

The Ocean and the Clouds: On a cliff by the sea, Derpy reflects. Inspired by Dubliners. Written for the /fic/ mini-fic writeoff For Old Times Sake. [Sad]

Inspired by Cold in Gardez's Shorts.

This story is a sequel to An Affliction of the Heart: Volume Four

With her newfound responsibilities as Queen, Kuno has seen fit to lead the changelings towards a life of coexistance with ponies.

But there are those who would wish to see such an endeavour fail, and they're not above taking action to make it fail.

Cover art commissioned by Iakovl, drawn by Derpah.

This story is a sequel to An Affliction of the Heart Volume Three: Hybrid

Warden, the broken pegasus, his wife, Kuno the changeling, and their hybrid daughter, Swarm, continue their adventures in a wild, wacky world!

A collection of unconnected scenes and short stories I've written that I didn't want to publish on their own for various reasons. Genre and character tags are listed at the top of each chapter.

They smell strongly of apples, but there's some other stuff in there too.

In which Shining Armor receives a promotion, Princess Cadance reunites with an old friend, and cloudfall is finally made. Part of the "Cadance of Cloudsdale" cycle, now with its own group!

Side Story to The Demesne of the Reluctant Twilight Sparkle

When Doctor Princess Twilight Sparkle got Ponyville and the surrounding lands as her exclusive demesne, she knew it meant changes and stuff. Glittering opportunities. Dire crises. Friendships gained and imperiled. The dawn of a new age for Ponyville. A renaissance of the arts and sciences. A great test of her abilities as a leader and as a friend.

The brewing civil war took her by surprise, on the other claw.

The Princesses and their allies in Canterlot are working to change the laws, disband the new militias and ensure a lasting peace, but they need time. Soon, this cold war of arms and intimidation will heat up, and all the laws and decrees in the world ain't stopping it.

Doctor Princess Twilight Sparkle will buy them time. She will do what it takes to keep her friends, her family, and yes, her demesne safe.

With the help of a handsome griffon security professional—that's me, by the way—a devious illusionist, a ruthless athlete, a bored noble, and a pair of boater-clad con-ponies, she'll stop the damn war herself if she has to.

Touch wood I'll live to tell about it...

The Great and Powerful Trixie has returned to Ponyville, apologetic for all of her previous actions, and cleansed of all thoughts of revenge, domination, power and destruction. Now reformed, she only wishes to be accepted and loved in this wonderful little town while making friends of her own.

Yeah, right.

Would you believe Trixie has convinced that foolish unicorn and her dopey dragon pet that she should live rent-free in the library with them while she recovers from whatever it is that she claims to be suffering from this week? Yeah, let’s go with that.

Join Trixie and her friends the rest of the town as she settles into Ponyville, makes some enemies friends, and tries to find true love survive the experience.

Bring a cream pie. You’ll need it.

Image is courtesy of Mapafapa at Deviantart.