This story is a sequel to Melt

This is a sequel to Melt, but can be read independently.

The common cold is, for Celestia, quite rare. Whenever she does catch one it's a time for privacy, reflection, and no shortage of small miseries.

That said, she's never had Twilight Sparkle on her side before. Maybe, just maybe, this cold won't know what hit it.

My thanks go to CosmicAfro for prereading

Now with even more perfect cover art!

Twilight's caught a special type of flu, and it's up to none other than Princess Celestia to nurse her through it. A special, tender little moment follows in this most unexpected of circumstances.

As with every living creature, once every year, Princess Celestia has a day that commemorates the anniversary of her birth. Given that she is blessed with many wonderful friends and family members, she receives many gifts on her birthday. Some she likes more than others, while some are rather odd.

On this one thousand seven hundred and nineteenth birthday of hers, she receives a large stuffed squid plushie.

She is perplexed.

One night as Apple Bloom is trying to sleep, she thinks she hears... something in the distance. A light is on in the CMC Clubhouse. She goes to investigate, and what she finds shivering in the snow will change her life forever.

Runner-up for the Halloween in April horror contest.

Edited wonderfully by Professor Hyde White, Horse Voice, Cyanhyde, Titanium Dragon, Georg, Babroniedad, Ponibius, and Comma-Kazie

... wow, I had a lot of editors. Lots of great people on this site.

Featured on EQD 06/11/2020

Now with an amazing reading by FaolanCortez!

The world ended.

That, at least, is what it sounded like. Screaming, howling, and then deathly silence.

A month later, Cheerilee and Scootaloo emerge from their shelter in search of food. As they search among the dead bodies of their friends, only one question comes to mind:

Where are the unicorns?

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Written for the Quills and Sofas Cheerilee contest.

Featured on May 18th, 2021!

This story is a sequel to Into The Depths

The horrors of the catacombs have turned to distant memories for Celestia, Twilight, and Luna. Discord’s change of heart and Twilight’s coronation have helped to ease and erase the mental scars from that harrowing night. The three princesses can even smile and laugh as Nightmare Night moves into full swing.

Yet, it should never be forgotten that those who have been touched by Tirek are forever within his grasp.

What's an artificial intelligence to do when it reaches the extent of it's capabilities and can no longer improve? In most cases, either fulfill some end state goal and shut down, or, if it's smart enough, ask for clarification from its creators.

For a certain pony-based AI, neither of those is an acceptable solution.

It'll take an unexpected meeting with a being with whom it shares surprising parallels to kick-start it back into action, and nothing will ever be the same after.

Entry for the Friendship is Optimal contest.

Technically canon compliant, unless I've missed something, and while a bit of background is provided, being familiar with the original story will certainly help comprehension.

Here I am in an afterlife, of sorts. But somewhere along the way, I lost a large chunk of my real life.

There’s only one being who could have reasonably pulled any of this off. There’s a problem, though. She doesn’t exist.

Yet.

Written for the December 2016 Writeoffs, where it placed sixteenth. Caution is advised.

This story is very non-canon Optimalverse, and should therefore be approached with even further caution.

Note the self insert tag. Blatant wish fulfillment ahead. Did I mention caution?

TTS Reading of the entire fiction: Courtesy of the FanFiction Reader on Youtube.

Character List: Courtesy of TruthHut (A work in progress)

Handy is not a happy man at the best of times.

He was even less happy to find himself in an alien world that offended the very laws of physics and got injured for his own stubborn refusal to accept the obvious path fate had apparently laid out for him.

For his trouble he is now on a journey, with the long term goal of finding his way back home, only to find himself involved in plots and machinations so far above his head and cares that he quickly becomes a pawn in a game played by powers who care not for his well-being.

Quite like his life back on Earth if you think about it.

Needless to say, Handy does not care for any of it. He is much more preoccupied with the more immediate and pressing mundane concerns of day to day life a human needs to worry about while in Equestria.

Obtaining a new pair of shoes for example.

All this and one almighty hangover, what's the worst that could happen?

Rated teen for harsh language and minor violence

Proofread by JBL, Jude and Usurper

Legend tells of a shadowy demon that consumes the souls of the living. When Applebloom is found comatose in the Everfree, Twilight comes to learn the horrifying truth—some legends are real. Spurred by fear, she ventures into the darkness of Applebloom's nightmare, and the unimaginable terrors within.

[Cover art by Conicer]