She tries to provide a living example. Demonstrating how much better things could be when you're just happy and willing to get close. Of course, there are those who say that Izzy gets a little too close. But when she's in a new place every day, the disorientation is almost constant and she just needs to center on something sort of familiar... then at least there's other ponies. Frequently at a proximity of roughly seven tail strands.

Maretime Bay isn't fully comfortable with that. Which may be why the bulk of it just took out a restraining order. Trying to get Izzy to back off, just a little, until she learns to respect personal space.

Or maybe they're just trying to make an example out of her.

Cover art from a vector capture by Lavender-Bases.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

As far as Flurry is concerned, she's a perfectly normal filly with a pretty ordinary life. Sure, her house is somewhat larger than average and maybe there's the whole 'horn and wings' thing. But she goes to school with everypony else, her parents both do mostly-boring work for the local government and just like nearly every other firstborn, her father obsessively recorded her foalhood.

The photo albums are bad enough.

The crystal showcase galleries may have gone a little too far.

Absolutely not an entry for the Shining Armor is a Terrible Dad 2024 Competition, but was inspired by its existence.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

There are six pony virtues. Six. And fortunately for the pickup artists, confidence stallions, and desperate of the world, there's also a lot of sapients who can't count that high. Princess Luna's Return produced a few side effects, and one of the more consistently annoying is a never-ending parade of those who claim to be the hitherto-unknown virtue of This Is Worth Some Free Drinks. Others take it further.

Division Seven is an international, multispecies effort, created in an attempt to find and discipline those charlatans. And ideally, to do so before something... happens.

The planet has strange ways of reacting to the presence of true Bearers.

Imagine how it might deal with some of the fakes...

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

Cover art created by RamblingWriter.

Hearth's Warming: a tiresome, predictable celebration—yet not entirely. Discord, once disinterested, found his opinion swayed by his friends' influence. Over the years, he grew fond of those he once opposed, now delighting in giving thoughtful gifts, especially to one canary Pegasus...

Editor: Dreams of Ponies
Pre-reader: Nailah

Written for Talon and Thorn for Jinglemas 2023

If there's a holiday, then somepony's probably overdecorated for it. The Greening has seen entire homes blend into the local grass, while Lambvent shrouds neighborhoods in wool and Hearth's Warming traditionally welcomes guests into homes through making it impossible to see where the front door is. But if Ponyville's going to get dressed up anyway, then Town Hall might as well have a little contest built around it. The mayor signed off on that.

Which meant there was a period of at least two seconds in which Marigold Mare completely forgot her town hosts the Bearers -- and that she'd just given them a reason to compete against each other.

Shall we count down to the inevitable one home visit at a time? In six, five, four, three...

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

Rated C for they don't celebrate Christmas Crackfic.

Hearth's Warming songs. Aren't they just the most annoying things ever? Sure, some of them may sound good the first time around, but see if anything still holds up after the hundredth repetition. The gramophone stand sure won't, especially once somepony lands the well-earned kick. And yes, this latest specimen is a fairly new composition, but Twilight already hates Hearth's Warming Wham! on a level usually reserved for falsified scientific proofs. Since nopony is going to be playing anything except holiday songs for the next moon...

And yet Twilight is convinced that it's possible for her to reach the holiday itself without ever having to hear that 'song' again. She's willing to make a wager on that.

She's wrong, of course. That's the fun part.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

This story is a sequel to Resident Weevil

Oh, autumn. The season which has the Weather Bureau arrange for the temperature to fall below freezing overnight, followed by what almost seems to be random shifts of wind and climate during the day until you reach the point of perfect comfort -- which lasts for about three seconds. It's the sort of weather which a mare of dignity and taste can't possibly dress for without dragging a complete wardrobe behind her in a cart, along with optional changing booth. And Rarity's just a little fed up with this. Really, the eye twitches are hardly noticeable. And what's her solution?

Adjust the official schedule. After breaking into Rainbow's office.

Well, of course Twilight will help! What are friends for?

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages. While this story is tagged as a sequel, this just indicates that it takes place after those events: no previous reading is required.

Rated C for Cumulonimbus Crackfic.

Every new day in the Second Age Of Unity brings a fresh chance for discovery. And what Sunny's mostly been discovering is that when it comes to her half-alicorn state, she doesn't have a lot of control. Magic's return has been creating problems for everypony: she just gets to choose her issues from multiple categories.

Sunny specializes in having BIG ideas. 'Why don't we start a school for magic?' qualifies. And since Sunny's last BIG idea set off the Second Age --

-- Sunny gets the ideas. Everypony else has to deal with the fallout. And this time, Hitch has to shut her down.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

Cover art from a mark capture by Reafelice14.

It's just not fair. He was the only one who truly understood the threat of the other species, the stallion who mobilized Maretime Bay in the battle for ultimate victory, and what did it get him? A criminal record and community service. And now the unicorns and pegasi are just moving around HIS city like they own the place and that's totally unfair. His mother should own the place (through having sold more anti-them stuff) and once she'd stepped aside? It would be Sprout time!

But nopony recognizes how vital he is. They expect him to pick up litter and worse, to do it before Hitch. They don't understand that ponies are meant to be afraid. All the time. Then somepony can be in charge. Like him. (Again.) And if they're not going to be terrified of wings and horns...

...what's an 'Ursa'?

Doesn't matter. He'll just go find out the Sprout way. By WINNING.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

Cover art from a mark capture by SproutHooves.

She isn't free. It's a prison sentence with furloughs, and how is she supposed to enjoy time away from the castle when she always has to go back? There's also wardens watching her on both ends and somehow, the pegasus is the less reasonable of the two. And when she's been doing the same things for as long as she can remember...

It's four a.m. That's when the servant polishes the throne room.

Maybe Misty Brightdawn wouldn't be cleaning. But the unicorn mare still doesn't know who that is.

(Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.)

Mark interpretation by Sol-R.