Sometimes growing up means more than just time passing. For some, it means letting go of what they hold dear and moving onto greener pastures. And for others, it means becoming what they never wanted to be in the first place.

Thanks to my editors Maskedferret, Door Matt, Razalon The Lizardman, and Titanium Dragon for all their help!

Reading found here.

[Optimalverse] Mark was having a rather bad day before he emigrated to Equestria but the promised digital heaven never materialised. Instead he found himself in an deserted Canterlot with just two other freshly minted ponies for company and nothing but mysteries to solve. What happened to everypony else? What's wrong with CelestAI? And how will they survive each other for all eternity?

Three ponies. On a one way trip to infinity. Only the gods will be watching.

I would like to extend my thanks to Luna-tic Scientist for his help pre-reading.

The Elements of Harmony. Six artifacts of legendary power that have provided for the peace of Equestria for over a thousand years. While Queen Chrysalis managed to deny the ponies their ultimate defense, she still lost to a different unexpected surprise in the form of a love-powered shield spell.

However, the Elements won't be so easily denied. Unbeknownst to anyone, they awaken in their vault and cast Chrysalis into another world to teach her a lesson or six about life and harmony.

Stripped of her power, trapped in a form unfamiliar even to a changeling, and at the mercy of the locals, Chrysalis must learn how to get along with others before she is allowed to return to save her hive. And if successful, she may just be allowed to keep her new friend... If he's willing, and if he can survive the drawbacks of being one of the rarest changeling classes ever seen:

A breeding drone.

Join a spoiled rotten queen and a workaholic electrical engineer in the retelling of an adventure that brought them together across the boundaries of space and time. Because sometimes, a little change isn't all that bad.

(Changeling Drone 'Gazer' design artwork courtesy of oFimFiction.net member 'More Dakka')

Spike is a dragon with mare troubles, and one of those mares just happens to be his mother. When he meets Lyra, who has troubles of her own, he hatches a plot that they think will be mutually beneficial.

Special thanks to Setokaiva for his proofing work.
Spanish translation by SPANIARD KIWI can be found here

This story is a sequel to Project: Sunflower

After the events of Project: Sunflower, Erin Olsen has returned to Ponyville, happy to pursue her studies in magic. After everything that happened the year before, she's looking forward to spending her days studying and having fun with her friends.

Meanwhile, on the newly discovered world of Harmony, humans and ponies work together to study this strange new world. However, their arrival causes something ancient to begin stirring. Something that may end up changing everything.

Erin will need all of her courage, all of her cleverness and, of course, all of her friends to see herself through what happens next.

Cover art by Valkyrie-Girl
Editing provided by:
Brilliant Point, Coandco, Ekevoo, Ludicrous Lycan, Merlos the Mad and Razalon the Lizardman.

Idol Hooves holds a special place in Equestria. He's probably the only exiled changeling to serve in the Royal Guard, or at least, that's what he expects, as exiles don't really broadcast that fact. However, it's well known that Princess Celestia loves all of her little ponies, and her guards perhaps more so, and that makes it one of the best ways for a changeling to discreetly feed.

But how does a changeling even get there, let alone get exiled in the first place? For that matter, why would it ever go to Canterlot? Set a number of years before the series proper, before Luna’s redemption, Idol details how he was exiled, the ponies he’s met, and the series of misadventures that led him to joining the Royal Guard, and should continue a good ways into the series, as something of an alternate perspective.

Soon, he’ll have to deal with a boisterous new princess to serve and a royal wedding in the works bringing a third to power. Will his old instincts bring this new life crashing down around him? What precipitates Chrysalis’s ill-fated assault on Canterlot? Is it really so wrong for a changeling to enjoy good craftsmanship to an obsessive degree?

New cover art provided by the fantastic Carnifex

And a TVTropes page here.

And an Ask Blog of questionable canonity!
Out of Idol Curiosity

Fanart by Norad2! Major thanks! Short For a Royal Guard

Art by Egophiliac of Idol and his Daring Duckie Please don't tell him what that brush is meant for.

Rating updated to (T), it's a bit darker than (E)
Comedy Tag added as well
And changed the character tags a bit.

One thousand years ago, Celestia failed to reach out to her sister and save her from the darkness that consumed her. In her sorrow, she was forced to seal her within the Moon.

Five years ago, Sunset Shimmer, Celestia's personal student, also turned twords a darker path. Celestia once again sought to save somepony she cared about from falling onto a dark path. This time, she succeeded...

The first story of the Sunsetverse, join Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's personal students, as they are sent to Ponyville to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. Oh, and make some friends. Sunset's not so sure how that counts as a job, but it would probably be a good thing for Twilight. Poor girl's obsessed with some Mare in the Moon legend she read. A few days out of the library and interacting with other ponies would only be a good thing for her, right? After all, there is no way Nightmare Moon is real.

*Edit*-10-6-2014 : *spittake* I'm a featured story? What? What? What? I don't even, how? ...I need to lay down for a bit. Um, thank you all my viewers who made this possible, and thanks to the staff for enjoying my work enough to feature it. I will strive to do even better in the future, and once again thank you for all of your support.

A few days after the Nightmare Moon Incident, Spike awakens to find Twilight acting a little...odd. Or odder than usual anyway. All of a sudden she's being all motherly, sure of herself in ways she's never been before, and even more outgoing.

But…it’s kind of creepy how she just seems to know everypony’s name, or their habits, and even some stuff nopony else should know.

But she's still good old Twilight...right?

Featured 5/28/2014

The Power Ponies are coming again.

Another escape from custody, another scheme to take over Maretropolis, and another chance for the Power Ponies to defeat her. Such is the cycle that Mane-iac has endured for as long as she can remember.

And she's sick of it. She's sick of all of it. Now on the cusp of one more battle with her nemeses, she can only think of how much she has sacrificed for the city in her battles against the Power Ponies, and how much more she can take.

Find this story and more in a print copy! Just click these words here!

First place winner of the Everfree Northwest Fanfic Competition!

Thank you to Prak for editing help!

Featured on Equestria Daily 4/27/14

Lyra Heartstrings is a up-and-coming musician living in the quiet town of Ponyville. Her marefriend Bon Bon owns and operates Canter Candies, the town's specialty sweets shop. They've been together for years, and everypony around knows what a happy couple they are. But any relationship has its ups and downs, and it's hard to ignore every awkward moment.

Like when Lyra's ex arrives in town.
Because she thinks Lyra still has a thing for her.
Because someone's been impersonating her for the past few years.

...Bon Bon might be in trouble here.

Thanks to Einhander for pre-reading and Exuno for editing!

Now with a reading by Goombasa!