Poems are a window to the soul—a lens of wonder that reveals the beauty of the world around us. In this collection, nine of the fandom's most talented poets hold that prism up to the ponies we all cherish.

The poems in this anthology cover all main characters and a wide spectrum of Equestrian life, and range in style from strict form to free verse. We've presented them in an order that showcases the collection's wide variety of styles and themes. There's also an index if you're looking for a favorite subject, author, or poetic form.

It is our hope that this effort can make readers unfamiliar with poetry consider ponies in a new way—and in doing so, also show that poetry can be approachable, honest, and amazing.

A list of contributors follows below. Endless thanks—this project would not have been possible without you.

Poets:
darf
Aquillo
Horizon
The Illusive Badgerpony
PersianJuliet
Cynewulf
ambion
ForeverFreest
Defoloce

Fimfic Editing and Arrangement: darf
Organization and Creative Oversight: darf, Horizon
Cover Art: Pony Horse Nice-guy
ToC Lettering: Spaerk

Part 1 of the Shadow Trilogy

As Twilight Sparkle enters her third year amongst her friends in Ponyville, she finds herself plagued with strange dreams of an unknown power whispering dark secrets to her. The voices speak of Power, of the strength to protect what she holds most dear, of the great knowledge she could attain, such that no force could ever threaten her lands, or her friends, ever again.

Though she shrinks from this voice, the lure of greater knowledge, of magical power far beyond what she currently knows is enticing and alluring to her, eating away at her resolve even as the lack of rest begins to wear her physical defenses down.

What is this voice, and what does it plan for the most faithful student in Equestria?

Note: Events diverge from canon following the events of "Games Ponies Play"

Part 2 - The Twilight Fall
Part 3 - The Twilight War
Links removed in compliance with Fimfiction policies

The Lone Wanderer has been known as the man who shouldered the nightmares of every man, woman and child in the wasteland, so that they may live. But when the Wanderer was once again abducted by aliens, he found himself falling, quite literally, into a whole new wonderous world, untouched by the horrors of nuclear devastation.

He has been facing other people's nightmares constantly for almost a decade, it was high time he was allowed to wake up.

Meanwhile, the ponies of Equestria are baffled by a strange object that fell from the sky.

Fallout/FIM crossover. HiE. T for violence and some language.

Now with a TVTropes page!

Inspired by the heroics of the mysterious mare known as the Stable Dweller, Silver Storm, a guard of the town of Marefort, decides to go on a daring mission to rescue her captured brother. Of course things rarely go as planned and her attempts at heroism drags her into a tangled web of plots and conspiracies as warring factions vie for control over the last great city: Dise.

Spanish Version translated by Spaniard-Kiwi: https://www.deviantart.com/spaniard-kiwi/art/Fallout-Ecuestria-Heroes-996263393

As a general rule, leaving your future bride at the altar and abandoning your entire family to flee the city of Canterlot is a bad idea.

Then again, you never know just who you'll meet on the train to your new life.

A thousand years after the Princesses disappeared from Equestria, Twilight Sparkle meets a lost Cloudsdale scout named Rainbow Dash. Together they look for a way to end the thousand-year night and dispel the darkness that has spread across Equestria.

Edited by Pascoite
Contains fairly mild grim-dark. Inspiration taken from the Dark Souls games, but it's not strictly a crossover.
Chapters titled "Arc #: Chapter Name" are part of the main story. Chapters titled "Character: Chapter Name" are one-shots about other characters, set in the same world, and aren't necessary in order to follow the main story.

Twilight does some research into her tried and true teleportation spell.

This story is a sequel to What I've Become

It is highly recommended that you read What I've Become before you read this story, since this is the second story in The Humanity Within Trilogy, and you will be lost if you just plunge into this without any preparation.

Also, this story already has a sequel: What I Am!

Things have been turning up roses for me lately. I'm no longer fighting to survive, I have people that I can turn to, and I have my face back, all because of the kindness shown to me by strangers.
But will they continue to help me once they find out what dark secrets haunt my past? Will they shun me for the evil deeds that my abductors forced me to do while I was in their service? Will they continue to protect me from the monsters that destroyed my life, once they realize what kind of monster I really am?
How does one forgive a murderer?
WOOT! Feature the day it came out! (how did that happen?) 12/1/2014
Edited by Malefactory. He is fantastic at this kind of thing!
Proofread by Cantankerous. He's freaking amazing.
Also proofread by PhiliChez.
Cover Image done by the very talented PaintSplotch! You can find his FimFic account here.
And here is his DeviantArt Account!

Most ponies assume that something is wrong with Ditzy Do's eyes. Theories range from a head injury to a genetic disorder to muscle damage behind her eye. The crueler folk suggest she's just retarded. Nicer ponies say it's just a party trick she never got tired of.

They're all wrong. They're all very, very wrong.

I discovered the truth one day in conversation with her. One eye would always look at me, and the other would wander. At least, I thought it was wandering. So while we were talking, I followed it. Goddess in heaven I wish I had not. Never follow the other eye. Ever. Because Ditzy Do's eyes work fine.

She's just watching something. That... thing that's always in the corner of our eyes. And if she looks at you with both eyes?

Goddess save you.

----

Preread by BrastaAAura17, Chase Cosmicwing and dreamingnoctis. Cover art also by dreamingnoctis. Guy's a bro.

Hope is the faith of the young. Losing everything she holds dear, Puppysmiles embarks on the adventure of her life to find her mother, her hopes of meeting her again driving her through the horrors of a world not of her making. Too bad the Wastelands doesn't care about hope.