T'was the night before Hearth's Warming Eve, and all throughout Ponyville, Starlight Glimmer may be mildly stressed out. I mean, it's not like she forgot "oh yeah, I care about this holiday now" and didn't do her gift shopping until the last minute, giving her only a few hours to find six inspired, heartfelt, thought-out gifts for her closest friends.

Fortunately, she has Trixie to help her!

...Yeah she's doomed.

Despite the stars, this is not a shipfic.

Written for Moosetasm as a part of Jinglemas 2020.

Trixie has read literally dozens of true crime stories. She has no idea why it takes the police so long to solve the crimes when they're so obvious -- especially in hindsight. When a murder happens right in front of her, its her chance to prove her expertise to the doubters and claim her rightful title as the Intelligent and Insightful Trixie, Equestria's Greatest Magical Detective!

Assuming it actually is a murder, anyway.

An entry in the 2023 Whodunnit Contest

One day, Rarity forgets to turn the faucet off.

Then, everypony else begins forgetting things.

Ebony Dew has a friend that nopony believes is real.

However, she knows in her heart that he exists.

After all, it's his heart in the first place.

An entry for the Science Fiction Contest run by Bicyclette.

In the shadows of a forgotten realm, one mare trudges onward with music, and a cute little house cat, as her sole companions. Lyra Heartstrings has fought against a dark curse for more than a year, and it's now beginning to take a toll on her mind. Will she be able to keep everything together in light of her choice? Or will the spanning abyss inevitably claim her as one of its own?

Twenty thousand years into Twilight Sparkle's rule, the burden of the countless trillions of ponies killed Equestria. Depleted, polluted, and dead, the planet was abandoned. The Goddess Twilight Sparkle and her alicorn compatriots led the surviving ponies to a new life among the stars.

Ponies advanced. They evolved, and grew. A golden age of peace and prosperity occurred that lasted for thousands of millennia.

But that was long ago. Before evolution turned against them, and before the deadly Mortality Virus raged through their ranks. Now, at the twilight of ponykind, their final hope is for a small crew to return to their long-dead and long-forgotten homeworld one last time.

I don't see what all the fuss about death is. Our princesses have been dodging it for over a thousand years. Who's to say Sweetie and I can't experiment a little? No, don't be ridiculous, zombies don't exist. Not yet, anyway.

[As seen on Equestria Daily.]

Over the course of several years, Rarity has achieved a fabulous career, contributing to both Equestrian fashion and the Ponyville community. She is admired by her clients, envied by her peers, and cherished by her dear friends, proving that she's a dependable shoulder to lean on.

Then one day, a mysterious pony visits from out of town. She wishes to meet Rarity, but not to thank her.

This story is a sequel to Before Closing

Once upon a time, two strangers met at a carnival, and after a night of whirlwind romance, fate pulled them apart. Now, five years later, their paths cross again, and they get a chance to find out what might have been, as they learn more about each other and discuss what's been going on in their lives in the years since. And yet, once again, they only have a few hours to do so before they have to go their separate ways.

Inspired by Before Sunset.

She was stuck at the top of a broken Marris wheel when the stallion in the next gondola over started talking to her. With nothing else to do, she talked back. Once the wheel got fixed, they agreed to keep talking. Now, they wander around around the carnival, conversing about nothing in particular. Growing up, griffons, mortality, stars, rigged carnival games, alicornhood, whatever crosses their minds. It's a great way for them to get to know each other.

But they only have until the carnival closes. After that, they'll need to go their separate ways. Even if they don't want to.

Inspired by Before Sunrise.