With Twilight away in Canterlot, Spike is left to his own devices. But Ponyville isn't the busiest of towns and before long, boredom begins to creep.

So to cheer himself up he decides to go spend time with his friends. Five stalwart companions whom he has known through thick and thin.

But Spike soon begins to realise that really, those are Twilight's friends. Not his.

In fact he starts to wonder whether, since he moved to Ponyville, he's actually made any friends at all...

(*2nd edition. Based on feedback, the final chapter and epilogue have been added-to to better reflect the contributions of the CMC.)

You'd think that being trapped in stone would mean that, if nothing else, I could get some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, it seems that Celestia has other ideas.

She has appointed these ponies... these 'Keepers', as she calls them, to keep me entertained during my incarceration.

Honestly? I'd prefer the boredom.

Cover art by matrosha123
Spanish Translation by SPANIARD KIWI found here

Meet Pipsqueak.

Pipsqueak, or "Pip" as he prefers to be called, has quite the imagination. There are times when he is a fearsome pirate, scourge of the seas of Equestria. There have also been times when Pipsqueak has fantasized about being a gallant prince, traveling the land, saving fair maidens, slaying wicked beasts, and being hailed as a hero by his peers. Not once did he ever imagine he'd get exactly what he wished for in the form of Princess Luna adopting him, making him an actual prince! Soon enough, Pip learns that being a prince isn't as glamorous as he thought it to be, and that there are more than a few downsides to being a part of the royal family. One in particular downside coming in the form of a nuisance named Blueblood.

On the other side of the coin, Princess Luna must adjust to her newly-found position of motherhood, balancing the task of providing her adopted foal as normal a life as possible for a young prince, while also making sure the nobility and paparazzi keep their hooves out of their business. Fortunately, this mare not only has the entirety of the Royal Guard, including her own Night Guard at her disposal, but her sister and niece also happen to be fiercely protective of the newest member of their family.

After Princess Twilight is given the news that she must move much farther from their friend than she already had, Spike finds himself infuriated. The resulting argument is enough to force him to run away, but neither could have imagined how devastating it would be to their friendship. Now, six years later, Spike can't stop thinking about what he did that night and how dearly he wishes to take it back. So, after many sleepless nights, he decides to return to the friend he's long since abandoned, though when he arrives in Canterlot, Spike may have found more than just friendship.

After her face and body are permanently scarred, Rarity seals herself off in her room with the lights off and drapes drawn, too disgusted by her own appearance to be seen. The only comfort she has comes in the form of daily visits from Spike, though she keeps the room dark to hide her deformities from the baby dragon. Can he convince her that she has nothing to fear; that her beauty is not limited to what she looks like?

My entry for the Feature Box Crusaders' Contest due on March 20th.

Thanks to BubblepipeWrangler for the initial story idea, and the help writing and editing it.

Additional thanks to: Twi-Guy and Featherprop for their help with the editing.

The Royal Guard has intensified their training regimen after countless attacks on Canterlot. They’re tougher, better, faster, stronger – and, after months of hard training, they only accept the best of the best. The Night Guard, the elite soldiers trained to protect Princess Luna during the evening, are similar to the Royal Guard, only ten times tougher.

Undeterred by the challenges that await him, Pipsqueak (now a full grown stallion) signs up to join the most elite soldiers in all of Equestria... The Night Guard.

He isn’t doing it for the fame or glory. Pip is motivated by one goal and one goal only: to fulfill a promise he made as a foal. He will become the guardian of the night.

This story is technically a sequel to The Dream Stalker, but it is not necessary to read that story first in order to understand this one.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/6MrWqNZ.png[/img]
(Featured on Equestria Daily!)
(Artwork from stupidyou3 on Deviantart)

After Twilight delivers a batch of books to Sweet Apple Acres as a gesture of goodwill, she finds that one member of the Apple Family is not interested in her offerings. Through her efforts to discover why, she inadvertently discovers Big Macintosh's most shameful secret.

Thanks to JBL for the story idea.

Thanks to Holo, Midnight Legend, ajvasquezbrony28, Sir Rustbucket, ValorlordV5, and Sage Runner for editing.

Now with a YouTube reading by Thornquill!

Rated Teen for some thematic elements.

A dragon wanders through a starless night, into a land that banished him centuries ago. Never did he imagine he would return to the world that cursed his very existence, but when the sun and moon failed to rise one fateful day, something compelled him to begin the long journey home to the princess who shattered his heart.

Stan was one of the lucky ones to make it out of the Canterlot disaster unscathed, unfortunately for him that means he now has to deliver a treaty to the princess.
Who happens to be one of his most deepest darkest fears.

For hundreds of years, the ancient quarrels between dragon and pony had been put to rest under Celestia's reign. However, after a simple land dispute on Equestria's border turns violent, dozens of ponies are left dead at the hands of dragons. As outrage over the event sweeps the nation, a strong divide between the two races is beginning to reemerge. To make matters worse, many ponies have begun to question the princesses' response; calling them too soft. Some have even decided to take matters into their own hands.

As the situation escalates, Spike has found himself growing evermore isolated. Every time he steps outside, he can't help but find at least one pony looking at him as if he were covered in the blood of the victims. Though, through these trying times, Spike has only been able to hold onto one constant: Twilight. But no matter how tightly they hold onto each other, will it be enough to see them through the days ahead?