No one alive today can say where she came from; simply that she has always been there.

And yet, few ponies have had a greater impact on Princess Celestia's life than Raven, her most faithful aide.

Inspired by and based off of a headcanon put forth by Heir-of-Rick, though perhaps a bit less insidious than what he had in mind. He very kindly provided an alternate version of his image for me to use as my cover image! Text added by me.

All comments and criticism very welcome!

Featured in the Royal Canterlot Library! Go there to read the interview for some behind-the-scenes info on this story!

Translations: Chinese, Spanish!

An uncertain Luna must again take up the responsibility of dispelling nightmares, but what if those dreams feature herself as Nightmare Moon? Would she be up to the task of confronting her past as well? Or is there more to a particular foal's nightmare than meets the eye?

Since The Friendship Games, Sunset and Twilight now have something in common: Magical transformations, an experience unlike any other that they both endured. Twilight now feels inclined to share her feelings about the matter. Though the circumstances were different and their reasons even more so, they can agree on one thing....

Featured 9/27/15

Gearbox is a fixer. He loves fixing things, anything, it's his life. But when dreams intrude, even when he's awake, he doesn't know why. Can anyone help fix Gearbox?

Octavia Melody's love of music has revolved around a single influential and prestigious work of art, the song May Our Sun Shine Forever. Since she was a filly, what has been the Equestrian national anthem for generations has continually inspired Octavia to perform, shaping her into the promising cellist she is today. Though the completed original was lost to the passage of time, the remnants of the final masterpiece composed by the Grand Maestro Glissando has been the cornerstone of not only Octavia's career, but modern music theory in Equestria.

When the tattered remains of an ancient songbook possibly containing the original song in its entirety is found, the Equestrian Society for the Performing Arts and Princess Luna begin planning a concert series to celebrate the work's eventual restoration. However, their meeting screeches to a halt once Princess Celestia vehemently forbids anypony from playing the original in the concert and demands its restoration to cease immediately. Octavia Melody finds herself at a loss, wondering why the princess of the sun would silence such a beautiful song meant to bring light to the world.

Proofread and Edited by TheAncientPolitzanian and various others over the years of trying to fix this thing.
Cover Art Depressing Melody by TertonDA
Updated 02/27/24

Most folks in town know about Longbow, even if not many really know her. She's somepony parents teach their foals to avoid. Everypony understands that she's dangerous.

Everypony except Twilight, who just moved to town.

Supplier of trashy romances... RainbowBob
Sounding board... buckweiser
Free idea fountain... Maskedferret
Veteran who understands... Biker_Dash

In the aftermath of Twilight's Kingdom, Celestia wonders if she should tell Twilight and her friends about something concerning their lives.

Like the fact that they're not going to end.

Dragons. Big. Selfish. Treasure mongers. No other creature in Equestria is as selfish as they. The spend their entire centuries long lives building and hoarding huge stockpiles of treasures, which they guard fiercely and frighteningly. Many are the treasure hunters who've attempted to cash in on the goldmine that is a dragons hoard. They almost always regret it.

One dragon is actually really strange about it, however. Oh, he has a hoard, which he guards just as fiercely as any other. But! But, he actually has the capacity to trust certain ponies and other creatures enough to let them gaze upon his most precious of treasures. This isn't the most surprising thing, however, despite its seeming impossibility. No. The most surprising thing is just what treasures his hoard contains...

Cover image by Wildheart Wolfsong, used in a dramatic reading by Dr. Wolf.

Can now be read in Spanish here. thanks to Spaniard Kiwi.

It is Twilight Sparkle's first night as a princess of Equestria, and she cannot sleep. As the excitement she felt during coronation fades away, it gives way to a deeper anxiety. The young alicorn lies awake, her thoughts dwelling on her new destiny, her responsibilities, her fears, and her own mortality.

Or, as the case may be, her lack of it.

As morning draws nearer, Twilight leaves her bed haunted by a question, and so she decides to seek out the one pony who can answer it.

Now has a dramatic reading on Youtube! Major props to Goombasa.

Partway through her morning practice routine—and routine it is—Octavia seems to have gained an audience. Well, if that mare wants to listen, she'll get a good show.

Expanded from the tenth-place finisher in /fic/'s first minific write-off, "What Lies Beneath."

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Cover art by drawponies

Reviewing help from Mystic and Chris.