A letter from Celestia interrupts one of Pinkie's parties with disturbing news. Now friendships will be pushed to the limit as Twilight struggles to uncover which of her friends is not who, or even what, she appears to be.

(While not a romance, this does contain a shipped pair)

in Russian

Twilight is on the cusp of leading Equestria for a year. It's been an easy year with no major difficulties. No wars. No natural disasters. No villains.

At least until a villain from the far, far future appears in Twilight's throne room. She's escaping defeat at Twilight's hooves, with one thought in mind: she won't be stopped if Twilight doesn't exist in the future. And here's Twilight's past self, right in front of her. Easy.

Unfortunately, she's not the only villain with this idea.

The wise who feared the coming dark strove hard to make their world an ark. But then the dark had grace to give: they couldn't flee, but could yet live.

Winner of the category "BEST WRITER WITH <500 FOLLOWERS" in the 2021 April Friendship is Optimal Writing Contest.

Many thanks to Admiral Biscuit for prereading.

Temporary note: minor edits to a few sentences to make them easier to understand correctly are planned, but in the interest of fair judging no changes will be made to the published version of this story until after the contest results are announced. EDIT: to be made once opportunity permits.

Fifteen is ancient for a dog, and Spike's starting to feel it: sounds and scents getting a little muffled, a little soreness in his hips, a gnawing little pain in his stomach that he hasn't told Twilight about even though it's been getting steadily worse the past few months.

In Equestria, though, according to Twilight, a fifteen-year-old dragon is still considered a child. And as she's been pointing out for the past five or six years, the portal to Equestria is right across town...

My entry in FanOfMostEverything's A Most Delightful Ponidox contest, this story didn't finish in the Top Eight.

Anon is too cheap to spring for a golden apple, so he settles for a cardboard box. Didn't start any wars, accidentally a job, 9/10 would recommend.
(RGRE)
{This story has two versions, the last chapter is the first person version.}

Starlight Glimmer has gone back in time. Each time Twilight tries to stop Starlight, she fails and is flung back through the portal and into a broken, twisted Equestria, ravaged by wars or monsters, each version worse than the one before, barreling toward the destruction of the world. Until she lands in a version of Equestria that ... isn't worse. It seems unchanged, happy, normal. The only real difference she can find on the cutie map is that her castle isn't there ...

... but the library still is.

Editing by Formerly Committed and JetstreamGW.

Sometimes, fiction matters.

Now with a Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi!

This story is a sequel to A Foreign Education

Twilight was sixteen when she became an alicorn. She hasn't aged a day since. Some ponies ask her what it's like, not being able to grow up.

Twilight can't really say. She's never known anything else.

This story is a sequel to If I Saw You In Heaven

Silver Star has been avoiding me since he arrived in Equestria. It shouldn't bother me. It's not like I'm the only pony in town.

He seems to like talking to me online, though, when he doesn't know I'm the same pony he met the day he arrived. At some point, you wonder, what's that about?
⠀

This story is set in the Optimalverse, and I recommend reading Friendship is Optimal or alternatively this synopsis first.

Cover art by SiMonk0, who is awesome!

When Gaberdine is awarded a noble title by Princess Celestia, he soon finds out that his new lands contain several surprises. For starters, there is no land in his new barony. Secondly, his new castle turns out to be a broken-down riverboat. And third is… seaponies.

Baron Gaberdine has a lot to learn about his new barony. And himself.

Fortunately, he has a very young teacher.

Now with a sea-quill (sorry) Drifting Down the Lazy River

Cover photo by PhoenixSwift
Editing/Pre-Reading assistance by Tek, Shaleclaw, Peter, Seether00, Monsieur Connoisseur, GhostOfHeraclitus, The Masked Ferret, Blue Paladin42 and Admiral Biscuit

Note: Unlike The Traveling Tutor and the Librarian, this is a single POV love story, like Changelings, Love and Lollipops. Only with fewer cannons and fountains.
Now Featured on Equestria Daily
With a YouTube Reading of the first chapter by BigAsh
And with a dramatic reading by Neighrator Pony and company Full playlist here.
Thanks for a wonderful review by Paul Asaran
Available in paperback through Lulu.com at cost.