The name's Slate. Straight Slate, detective by trade. It's no easy job, tracking down changelings on the cold city streets, but I'm good at what I do. I've been doing this a long time, ever since the attempted invasion at the royal wedding. But these days... These days, things are different. Something's rotten in the city of Canterlot, and one way or another I intend to get to the bottom of it. Even if it kills me.

Note: Comments are likely to contain spoilers as the story progresses. If you're starting from the beginning, I recommend avoiding them until you've caught up to the chapters in question.

Cover image by: Coin-Trip39

Thanks are due to many people for help and inspirations, both large and small.

While welcoming a foreign dignitary to Princess Twilight's Palace, Applejack refers to the single monarch as "Y'all." This, of course, causes the entire Kingdom of Equestria to explode into flames.

Okay, maybe not explode into flames, but it could happen... right? Just ask Twilight...

Meh.

After the long winter, the first earth pony-assisted crops of the spring have come in, apples included. But Applejack has something more important to worry about, which will make her question her family, her life, and her very destiny.

A reimagining of "Owl's Well that Ends Well" and winner of Skeeter the Lurker's Switcheroo! contest.

Sick of eating the same thing for lunch every day at school, the Cutie Mark Crusaders decide to sneak into Sugarcube Corner to try and get something better.

There is now a Spanish translation of this story, courtesy of Spaniard Kiwi

This story is a sequel to Movements of Fire and Shadow

"Return rainwater to a cloud and it will fall again soon enough." —Luna

After her redemption, Luna sought solitude from all ponies, including the twenty four elite guards assigned to serve her. But seven of those guards were not so easily dissuaded and sought the errant princess out, beseeching her to accept their pledges of unwavering fealty. They succeeded, and discovered her a scarred shadow of her former self, stripped of all thoughts and memories that might lead back to Nightmare Moon by the very magic that saved her.

Now, the princess stands strong in the company of trusted fellows that laugh, and grow, and bleed alongside her. They are all flawed, and they are all hopeful, but above all else, they are all equal. They are guards no longer. They are Paladins. One path. One destiny. One whole heap of trouble for Luna.

Equestria doesn't know what it's in for.

I, Paladin is a spin-off based on Luna's guards from Shades of Grey and Movements of Fire and Shadow. Knowledge of those works will be helpful, but is not necessary.

This story collection is a series of vignettes, although no particular plan or schedule is in place. They will appear whenever I happen to have ideas.

Oh, and [AU] because pre-Twilicorn, and Twilicorn will never happen because Twilicorn is dumb.

-Scott 'Inquisitor' Mence

PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE: DEAD AT 18

TELEPORTATION INVARIABLY FATAL, WARNS LEADING SCHOLAR

One look at the headline of the Canterlot Times and Twilight knew that she should have slept in today. But at least none of her friends would be silly enough to believe she was killing herself every time she teleported, right?

There is now a Spanish translation of this story, courtesy of Spaniard Kiwi

What if pony princesses were actually highly social carnivores?

What if a National Geographic team began following them around to film a documentary?

What if nopony saw anything unusual about this?

A metaphor about growing up. Or possibly a metaphor about living in a surveillance society. Or maybe just a very, very weird idea that needed to become a story.

After attempting to recover a significant amount of lost matter in a teleportation mishap, Twilight Sparkle begins to exhibit strange symptoms.

As this goes on, a strange droning emanates from the newly discovered caverns underneath her Crystal Castle.

The worst part is, nopony in the town seems to believe her.

She could've been many things after leaving Canterlot High. A baker, a comedian, a singer, a professional party planner.

Yet instead, Pinkie chose another path in life. A road nobody thought she would ever travel. For Pinkie Pie, being a police officer is almost second nature to her.

Written for the June 19th short story Writeoff Group event using the prompt "A Matter of Perspective".

"This story is why Schnapps is a bad idea." -- Bradel

Sheriff B. T. Book is a straight-laced, by-the-book kind of cop--for years he's protected Ponyville from litter, noise violations, and several of Pinkie's more insane theme parties. All he really wants is a little appreciation for his hard work, and maybe to save the town from certain doom, just once.

His grandfather, the famous sheriff Hard Country, is dead. But he got better. And now he's raring to get back to kicking criminals in the face and running away from things just before they explode.

Only problem is, there aren't any criminals or explosions in today's Ponyville. Or so one would think. But Hard isn't the only ghost who's up and walking, and when his old nemesis comes back to settle an extra-old score, grandfather and grandson will have to put aside their differences and work together, or else Ponyville might just be destroyed.

Well, to be honest, Ponyville is probably going to be destroyed anyway. Things do tend to explode when Hard's around. But when the good guys are blowing up your town, there's just one thing you have to remember:

It's exploding with love.

Written for the League of Equestrian Gentlecolts Ghost OC Prompt thing. Also in loving memory of the short-lived 2010 buddy cop show "The Good Guys."