By sheer dumb luck, you learned about an upcoming invasion of Ponyville planned by Queen Chrysalis and her army of changelings. Unfortunately, there are two major problems. First, Twilight and her friends are currently on vacation, meaning that the only thing standing between the changelings and Ponyville is little old you. Second, the invasion is supposed to occur at sunrise, which is about an hour away.

Oh dear.

Twilight Sparkle returns from a trip to Canterlot to discover the Castle of Friendship looking considerably worse for wear.

Who could have done this, and more importantly, why?

Written for the Bean's Writing Group prompt "Five Minutes Too Late". Cover art by Madmax.

An audio reading by Nailah can be found here.

Featured from 9-21 to 9-22-2021, peaking at the #5 spot. Thanks, everypony!

Raven Inkwell, personal assistant to Princess Celestia, spends her last day completing her final task for Her Highness before retiring from service along with her employer.
The worst task. Checking the Royal tax returns.

A day like any other, Cheerilee realizes Spike's condition as the Mane-6`s servant, and she won't stay there watching. With a legal process against Twilight, Spike is taken away from her and given the chance to have a real childhood.

From all her time working as a mail mare, Derpy has acquired quite some expertise in cardboard boxes and uses her talents to create the most indomitable cardboard box fort right in Anon's garden. All is fun and games until Equestria's aristocracy gets wind of it and decide it poses a credible threat to their power and reputation.

Originally written for the Kinderquestria thread, where the cute, childlike innocence of ponies is taken to it's absolute comedic extent.

Having a regular menu and deliveries of frozen, pre-diced vegetables once a week is boring. Going to the farmer's market every day after work and finding discounted food that will be otherwise thrown away, and then making a delicious dish out of it? That's a challenge that Parsnip can get behind.

There's no menu, and she sells out every day.

Inspired by this (YouTube link).
Pre-read by EileenSaysHi and AlwaysDressesInStyle

Featured on EquestriaDaily!

After a new playthrough of ogres and oubliettes our favorite group of roleplaying friends finds out that the new rules are unfair because a member of the party is practically invincible.

A one shot fic which happens before the events of being a good dragon is no easy task

Other characters tag is for Bigmac and Twilight.

Thanks to Nightmare Darkness for helping me out with my grammar errors.

Sunset Shimmer is just trying to have a nice dinner with her friends when it is RUINED by an uninvited guest with an affinity for black goo. She knows what it is, she knows who is responsible, and she is very VERY unhappy with him. And she wants to let him know.

/x/x/x/

Rated T for exactly one instance of harsh profanity.

I did not expect this to get as popular as it did but I am very glad that people enjoyed it. Thank you all so much for getting featured, 100+ likes, and countless additions to favorites lists! 💜

The gang takes some time to relax when Rarity starts a conversation about a seemingly inappropriate comic series.

Discord, eternal lord of chaos, bringer of the random day, bearer of pranks assorted, inventor of the self-mutilating bread loaf.

Everyone in all creation is terrified of him every time he returns. there's just one problem, his name is Dave, he just doesn't get it! In a supreme act of spite, Discord even made him immortal and he still doesn't get it!

Anyways, Discord's back and Dave just happens to live in Ponyville now.