Celestia, Princess of the Sun and Princess of Equestria, has led a long life. She's made a lot of decisions, for good and for ill, and she's decided it's time to quit. Twilight Sparkle, her faithful student and fellow Princess, will assume the crown and rule Equestria in a month's time with the help of her friends. But before that can happen, Celestia has to host one last Grand Galloping Gala. She decided it would go out with a bang.

That was last night.

Today, the Princess awakens with a ring on her horn and a strange earth pony in her bathroom. She's hungover, and the pounding in her skull triggers some memories of events she pushed far out of her mind for many years. Because Princess Celestia wasn't always a Princess or even Celestia.

And her new husband won't stop running his mouth.

(Cover art by cadillac_dynamite.)

Equestria and the Crystal Empire have fallen to the Changeling Hegemony, led by the brutal Queen Chrysalis at the head of a mechanized horde of guns and tanks. Princess Cadance stayed in the Crystal Empire; Princess Twilight stayed in Equestria. Chrysalis rules the continent, only defied by Nova Griffonia, the poor Griffon colony in the north.

Across the ocean, the Griffonian Reich pledges to reclaim its lost territory, sundered by revolution a generation ago. While the Alicorn Sisters retreat to New Mareland, Princess Flurry Heart and Shining Armor turn to Aquileia, the Republic born out of the ashes of the Griffonian Reich. The Kaiser of the Reich is only a child, subject to a regent bent on war and conquest.

Flurry knows the Reich and Chrysalis have worked together.

She knows that war is coming to Aquileia.

She knows that Celestia and Luna abandoned her mother and Twilight Sparkle.

She knows that the world is on fire, and she is the last true Princess of Ponies.

She knows she will go home.

Cover Art by Opal Radiance, commissioned by Sunstreaker.
https://www.deviantart.com/opalradiance

Celestia was a mortal once. She had dreams and hopes. Like any other mortal being but has long since forgotten what it was like to be a unicorn.

As the generations have passed, she has grown to hate what she is. She has grown to hate the sun who made her immortal. She hated the voice she buried deep down, clawing its way up with dreams of blood-red infernos and fire.

She hates she listening to it.

Celestia talks to Luna after she sends Twilight a living pony as a Hearth's Warming gift. Things only go downhill from there.

Written for MagnetBolt for Jinglemas 2023!

When the leaves of the world burst into deep reds, oranges, and yellows, earth pony towns all over Equestria chase the cold winds away with Fall Weather Friends Day festivals. From budding relationships to old flames, relations of all kinds gather from across Equestria to enjoy the season, including a peculiar pair of bitter and sweet stallions.

The dichotomous couple intends to make the most of their visit to the friendship capital of the world, Ponyville, by seeing the sights, savoring the fun and festivities, and ignoring the terrified screams of the locals, all the while deepening their love for one another. As long as they have each other, nothing will be able to stand against their star-crossed love, both figuratively and literally.

Tied for second place in Bicyclette's M/M Shipping Contest III hosted by the M/M Shipping Contests! group
Edited by: TheAncientPolitzanian
Preread by: Jymbroni, Alchemik, Falkenlied, and Arkadios
Cover Art: Pop-Rocking OCs by pop @rockin_candies on Twitter
Inspired by Crooked Beetles' Good OC x Bad OC Thread on Twitter

Featured from 11/16/23 to 11/20/23. Thanks so much!

Because when her Pinkie Sense is going off and she just knows somepony's been denied the birthright which is their birthday celebration, she'll go anywhere and do anything to make it right. Even if anywhere means heading deep into a changeling hive, and anything is... well, anything!

But she'll do whatever it takes.

Birthdays are important.

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Every Friday, from five in the afternoon to eleven at night, Pinkie Pie does volunteer work. She doesn't have to do it, the world won't stop if she doesn't, but she chooses to do it anyway. Even if it's doing seemingly insignificant little things.

It is a matter of life and death, after all. Literally.

"It's so nice to see you again!" said the thing that was not Celestia. "Oh yes, I know who you are, Twilight Sparkle. I had a taste of your magic the first time we met. Mortals forget things so easily, I find. Allow me to refresh your memory: you tried to kill me. But you failed, Twilight Sparkle. You only mostly killed me. And I guess that makes you one very unlucky little pony."

(This story is set during the events of the Ponyville Ciderfest 2023 Storytelling Adventure, when the con mascot Fizzy Glitch uses a powerful artifact to make the characters of the show come to life and drag the con into their world.)

Diamond Tiara is a bright, young filly. She may have had a troubled past, but she's moved on now. Things are just a little stressful at the moment, with a magical artifact calling her and everyone in Equestria to this strange new world. She can handle it though - she's a tough cookie! The nightmares of her own face smiling back at her don't mean anything. Nor do all those people who seem to know her despite coming from another world. Nor the fact that - no! No, everything is fine.

Plus, she has Luna, princess of the night, to hang out with, and plenty of adventures to be had in the world of dreams.

Everything is fine.

Preread by Solobrony and Cynewulf

Edited by Solobrony and Sonicsuns

Cover art generously made by Gleamy Dreams. You should check out her Etsy here.

Written for the Scattered Pages Story Collection. You can check out more stories from the collection, and stories written for the con here.

Truth can be hard to find, and courage can be harder. Both are beautiful dreams, but Blueblood has a duty, and he will not forsake it.

An entry for the M/M contest (Blueblood x Trenderhoof) and the Imposing Sovereigns contest (Blueblood / Loyalty). As so many of my stories do, this takes place within the universe of Auntie Tia's Matchmaking Service.

Second place winner in the Imposing Sovereigns contest 2023, and second place winner in the M/M shipping contest 2023!