When Princess Luna goes missing, Private Lucky Break knows there's more at work than a simple breach of court protocol.

For most, Hearth's Warming is an occasion to celebrate family and friends, a time for reflection and goodwill to all of Equestria's residents. But for two ponies, their relationship with the holiday is much more complicated.

Lucky, batpony soldier of the Night Guard, is assigned to escort Princess Luna to the grand reopening of her Night Court mere months after her return to Equestria. Everything goes well at first, until a visitor inadvertently offends the princess. Incensed, she cancels court and sends everypony away. However, when Lucky goes to offer comfort to a distraught Luna, she storms out.

Spurred on by an old wound buried deep in his heart, Lucky strives to mend a bond between sisters that feels all too familiar, and find the missing diarch before her grief consumes her.

Updated Author's Notes

Thanks to Auburn Arc for general feedback and editing assistance with this version of the story, and also to WolfVenom for further editing assistance. Credit goes to Magello for the new cover art. And thanks, as always, to the #fimfiction chatters for their endless mockery impatience support as I revised this story.

Original Author's Note

Thanks for help with the first version go to:
Editing: Norm De Plume, Deceased, and CinnamonSwirlTheBreaded
Synopsis assistance: CheeseDeluxe and PegasusMesa
Original cover art by sinsays

Novel Tale is an author that's been living in Canterlot for about ten years now. That's a pretty good track record for a changeling. He's even included a changeling character in his latest book, and his fans have been loving his take on such an obscure mythological creature, especially his biggest fan, Twilight Sparkle. Things are looking up!

Then an army of changelings from another hive attacks Canterlot.

Now all of ponykind knows that changelings are real, and his readers are sure to realize that the changeling in his book was too similar to the real thing to have just been based on a myth...

earlier chapters have been revised as of 7/19/13 to be more inline quality wise with the later chapters.

Featured on EQD 10/5/13!

Let it be known that there will be extensive changeling world building in the chapters to come.

cover image courtesy of ackdari.

Much thanks to Nyerguds for proofreading and to all my fellow tropers on the TvTropes pony fanfiction thread for helping me develop this from a vague idea into an actual story.

Blank Slate is the greatest thief of his generation. He has robbed countless nigh-impossible marks, and his talents as a master of disguise are beyond par - truly, nopony knows who he is.

And now he's preparing the greatest heist in mortal memory: the treasure vaults of the Princesses themselves.

But you have to get up pretty early in the morning to get one past the pony who defines when ‘early in the morning’ is…

Spoilers in the comments! Beware! Beware...

Audio Reading available - thank you ABagOVicodin
Czech Translation available - Thank you Keranis

Twilight Sparkle is a happy pony. With the help of her friends she defeated Tirek. She has a shiny new castle, the kingdom is safe, and she knows the reason behind her ascension. What more could a young princess want?

She is happy, she tells herself as she digs through the ruins of her home. She is so happy she can barely smell the ashes any more.

But in those ashes she finds something unexpected: a small porcelain vase, and with it a decade's worth of unspoken questions. A mystery hiding beneath her hooves, waiting to be put to rest.

Winner of the November Writeoff event.

Prince Blueblood thought the Grand Galloping Gala was over. He thought he could just go to sleep and put it behind him. He never expected to be reliving the same disaster of a day, over and over... and over.

TV tropes page here:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanFic/TheBestNightEver

Thanks to all the people who wrote the page and all the people who gave me a little wakeup call and comment to become aware of that fact! You can't see it, but you guys put a real smile on my face tonight.

Also, recently, extra thanks to RD Dash for giving TBNE a thorough editing. I've updated the fic accordingly (7.11.12)

The Long Patrol is an extension of the crown. It brings the rule of law and the princess's banner to the far reaches of the kingdom, the places where harmony fades and the wild chaos of nature still reigns.

In times past, all the tribes took part in the patrol. Today, it is mostly pegasi and a few gryphons. The distances they travel are simply too vast for anyone without wings.

Like most gryphons who join, I wanted to get away from my kind. I dreamed of the adventures I would have and the friends I would make. I certainly got those.

I just wish the price weren't so high.

[My entry for the EqD Summer "Outsider Insight" contest.]

This story is a sequel to First

A call for help from an old friend takes Rainbow Dash to a place she'd rather have out of her life, but her business there isn't finished. In a town on the far northern border of Equestria, she'll have to discover how to resolve and close a painful chapter of her past for good by confronting once again what she left there five years ago during a brutal conflict that exacted a haunting toll on her... And an even bigger one on somepony that she loved.

This is the sequel to my previous story, First. The continuity isn't really too heavy, so you can probably get away with not reading "First" before reading this. A few references may make more sense if you do, but it won't break the story if you choose not to. Your call, really.

UPDATE: Another prequel to this, Born in Equestria, is now available, too.

Twilight Sparkle writes to Princess Celestia once again, this time to explain her discovery of one of the most difficult aspects of the true depths of real friendship.

This is a short little one shot follow-up to Scent of Roses.

After running across the Crusaders in Manehattan, Rainbow finds out a little secret Scootaloo had been keeping from her.

Pre-reader: Kalen Nighteyes
Editors: Awesomeblaze, mobius160