While harvesting apples, Applejack is approached by a curious young lamb who has a simple but difficult question:

Why are ponies in charge of sheep and cows and other sentient races?

Applejack explains how this came to be, and why ponies are in charge.

With Twilight away in Canterlot, Spike is left to his own devices. But Ponyville isn't the busiest of towns and before long, boredom begins to creep.

So to cheer himself up he decides to go spend time with his friends. Five stalwart companions whom he has known through thick and thin.

But Spike soon begins to realise that really, those are Twilight's friends. Not his.

In fact he starts to wonder whether, since he moved to Ponyville, he's actually made any friends at all...

(*2nd edition. Based on feedback, the final chapter and epilogue have been added-to to better reflect the contributions of the CMC.)

After being shipwrecked in Illyrimane, Applejack disguises herself as a stallion so she can make her own way into the world and serves the Duke Spike, who sends her to woo the Lady Rarity for him. Applejack is soon shocked to discover that the unicorn has fallen for her instead!

How will she untie this tangled knot? More importantly, how will she win the dragon she loves when he thinks she's a boy?

Based on William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night.

(To avoid confusion, the cover art was simply the best I could find involving superhero Spike. If anyone knows of any good fanart involving a superhero Spike that isn't Power Ponies, please link me to it)

For as long as Spike can remember, his past has been a mystery. A puzzle without a solution. In short, he has been left with many questions, that no one seems to have the answers to. All he knows is, that he strongly believes in the concept of justice, and that ponies are inherently good.

Then, one faithful day, he is called to Canterlot to meet with Princess Celestia. And upon learning the truth of his past, Spike decides the time has come for him to embrace a role beyond that of an assistant.

Before long, all of Equestria is struck with awe at the arrival of a new superhero. And the question on everypony's mind is "Who's behind the mask?"

It's a question that will motivate one pony to issue the ultimate challenge, to see whether or not brains triumph over brawn. And challenge Spike's faith in Equestrian civilization.

Featured on Equestria Daily.
Review by PaulAsaran

An Evil Lord learns of a forbidden spell that will destroy the world. Naturally, he intends to cast it.

No problem! Princesses Celestia and Luna will just send Twilight Sparkle to go stop him. That usually does the trick. There's only one catch:

There are only thirty seconds left to stop him before the spell is completed.

Inspired by Half Minute Hero

In the dark,six voices dwindle. They drift, forgetting life and love and hope, eaten away by time and void.

And then, suddenly, there was colour.

After Celestia humiliates her at a dinner, Luna storms off and ends up snooping around in her sister's room. There, she stumbles upon the journal Celestia kept immediately after the banishment of Nightmare Moon.

Cover art by bunnish on dA.
This story now has a reading by Craft Arts. Go check it out!
Featured on Equestria Daily on August 22, 2013.

Due to her reckless antics and tomboyish behavior, Rainbow Dash has generally been thought of as one that had no real interest in the matters of love and dating. However, she gets challenged by Spike one day when he tells his friends that he would never be able to fall in love with her. Given Rainbow's competitive nature, a new challenge between the two of them begins.

She tries to steal Spike's heart and if he falls in love, he loses!

Between awkward dates, friendly interference, a jealous Rarity, an over-protective Twilight and a betting pool stretching all across Equestria, who knows what ending awaits them!