Everypony is her own worst critic, but few take it to the extreme that Derpy does. Still, where friendship and magic abound, a helping hoof is never far away, if only she'll reach out and take it.

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Thanks to PresentPerfect and NTSTS for feedback.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders have always thrown caution to the winds when Crusading. However, their latest endeavor has left one of their number in great pain with no obvious cause.
When Apple Bloom has her injury treated, she realizes that things in her life aren't what they seem. And when she learns the truth...
Some things are hard to deal with. But the love of a family can fix a lot of problems.

Edit: New cover art by Inkheart7 on DeviantArt.

This story is a sequel to The Art of Rainbow Engineering

Following Twilight Sparkle's explanation of the scientific method, Diamond Tiara asserts that the sonic rainboom is a scientific phenomenon. Scootaloo insists it is magic. The Ponyville schoolhouse is the scene for an unprecedented intellectual dispute.

It's a sonic rainboom. How not scientific could it possibly not be?

A side story to The Art of Rainbow Engineering - you don't need to read that first.

Newly married Princess Cadance and Shining Armour return home after their honeymoon happy to be home again and ready to help out around the castle however they can. However, when Cadance discovers a small creature hiding in her room, she has a choice to make. Turn the changeling in to the royal guard or keep it a secret.

Warning: This story is made mostly for Dwaaa'a and will likely hit you in a feel or two.

It's been uncounted millenia since the last of Twilight's first friends passed away. Even their names have passed into legend and myth, forgotten by the slow march of time. Now on a far away planet, she finds her musing upon all of her friends over the long years interrupted by her latest faithful student, Calming Waltz.

Now if she can only get that silly pony off to her wedding, and maybe teach her something about why her romance and wedding to come is so special and wonderous... Or at least something for Twilight to get a laugh out of, anyway.

Strange nightmares are plaguing the ponies of Equestria.

Somepony must help ponies to face their deepest fears, but unless Princess Luna is able to discover who—or what—is responsible, the nightmares may never end.

Scootaloo is ready to prove that she can be as fearless as her big sister, Rainbow Dash, even if it means never having a peaceful night's sleep again.

Ever since moving to Ponyville, Twilight has neglected something: her other residence. The rooms she used in the Canterlot Archives are still filled with her possessions. It's been nearly a year, and the Archives want her to clear out already so the place can go to the new departmental librarian. She has until sunset -- or anything still there just might remain so. Spike, knowing the deadline is hours away from arriving, recruits the Bearers to help her.

But Twilight doesn't want help.

A deadline is in front of her, and she's -- stalling.

They have until sunset...

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

I can't believe this! How dare they forget who they're dealing with! I'm the very Element of Generosity! But to ask me to share my suite with the likes of... her? It's inconceivable, preposterous, ludicrous! They seriously think I, Rarity, fashion designer extraordinaire would be willing to share even a suite with such an... uncouth beast! Unfortunately, the Canterlot Ritz—and every other hotel—is booked solid, so it is either this or nothing. I suppose as long as I keep to myself, I will survive the week. Right?

Isolated from her friends and taken prisoner in the middle of a war, Twilight must deal with the very real dangers of being percieved as an enemy as well as the nightmares of her arrival on 'Earth'. Can she overcome her own fears and the fears of her captors? Will the wayward unicorn's assistance be a boon or a curse to the 'humans?' Most importantly, will she ever find her way home?

"In short, it's a story of friendship and plasma rifles, with the emphasis on the friendship. The characters are well written, the XCOM setting is fleshed out very well, and the story is compelling. If you love XCOM, you'll love the story, but even if you've never heard of it, it's more than worth giving the first 3 chapters a read.

There's excellent action later on, but the real strength lies in the collision between the friendly and naive world of Twilight Sparkle and the desperate world of humans fighting a losing war for survival and willing to do anything to turn the tide."

--Arzoo

(XCOM/FiM crossover)
(Cover art commissioned by a friend and created by the magnificent FoxInShadow!)
(Original cover art by the amazing Carnelian can be viewed here!)
(Gore tag for blood and some violence)
(Many thanks to the studius OminousTen, Arzoo, xXFluttershyForeverXx and finally Setokaiva for giving my rambles a once-over)
(Now with it's own TV Tropes page! Get to tropin' folks!)

Princess Celestia, tired of the constant pressure that ruling a nation puts on her, decides to take a day off and let Luna take her responsibilities for a day, something the younger alicorn is more than happy to do. She disguises herself as a pink maned pegasus pony named Sunny Skies and decides to go walking around Canterlot without any supervision. Unfortunately for her, not all parts of Canterlot are as safe as the palace, and she finds herself at the wrong end of a gang of muggers, who decide to kidnap her for a ransom when they see how much money she has on her.

Luna freaks out.

Celestia thinks it's hilarious.

Find this story and more in a print copy! Just click these words here!

Featured on Equestria Daily 8/15/13

Go here for the French translation!

[img]http://i.imgur.com/CUBPvKI.png[/img]

Edited wonderfully by sqarishoctagon and Cloud Hop

Updated cover art by Dominatore