All his life, Angel Bunny has been plagued by a single question. At long last, he has an answer, and he longs to reveal it. Doing so may be the single most important thing he's ever done, but Angel doesn't know how to deliver the message. After all, rabbits have no need of writing.

Angel needs to learn. Knowing this task is far too important to let his pride get the better of him, Angel does something he never thought he'd do: ask for help. There's only one pony for the job.

One of the most unique fics I have ever read. —PresentPerfect

A hugely welcome addition to the small pile of stories that take Angel's character seriously. —Louder Yay

The structural gimmick is both well-used and well-explored. —Royal Canterlot Library

A deeply emotional tale, told piece-by-piece through the perspective of someone who desperately wants to say something but is unable to say it. —Bad_Seed_72

...unique, endearing, heartwarming, cute, and proved to me you can write Angel Bunny in a way that doesn’t make me want to strangle him. That last part alone is enough for me to think this story is a work of genius. —Vertigo22

Preread by Dash the Stampede
Edited by Hopeless Appraisal
Cover art used with permission from WhitediamondsLtd (click image for White's DeviantArt page)

3/29/2015: Now featured on Equestria Daily!
11/28/2015: Now featured in the Royal Canterlot Library!

Following a Changeling attack that scatters every resident in Ponyville, Applejack holes up in her family home with only Apple Bloom for support. The doors and windows have been boarded shut. A thick fog covers everything in sight. Soon the first visitor comes to her door.

Now the only question is whether they're actually who they say they are.

Edited by spigo.

Crime was easy before Princess Twilight and the First Five ushered in a golden age of Harmony. Back then, any idiot could plan a robbery, just like any rat could sneak through the cracks in wooden granary walls. But now that everything is cloudstone and clearsteel, with magical countermeasures over the few remaining holes, it takes a different breed of rat to survive.

"Slippery" Jimmy the Grey is one of the rare few ponies who can still slip through the cracks — even with the legendary Rainbow Corps on his tail. Now he's got a billion-bit heist planned in the gleaming skyscrapers of Cloudsdale. If only he hadn't made the mistake of stealing from a dragon …

Now with a reading by Illya Leonov and Scribbler!

* * *

This is a crossover with Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat novels, but it assumes no knowledge of the series.

Winner of February's Writeoff Association competition! * Featured by Equestria Daily! * Featured by Seattle's Angels!

REVIEWS: "Highly Recommended" by Titanium Dragon; "Recommended" by Present Perfect; rated "Why Haven't You Read This Yet?" by PaulAsaran

WORD OF MOUTH:
"The Iridescent Iron Rat was not only my favorite story from the most recent writeoff... it's my favorite story of anything I've read in months." —Sharp Spark

"What a ride it is. This story is made of awesome moments." —Casca, Seattle's Angels

"[A]stounding on so many levels. … If there’s one story from this round you have to pick, make it this one." —Corejo, Seattle's Angels

"Absolutely beautifully done. It fits the style and feel of the books to a perfect T." —Themaskedferret

Some ponies seem to be born knowing what they are meant to do. Some discover it. A few need to be shown. Star Swirl the Bearded was in this latter group. This entry of his journal recounts the encounter that turned an apprentice lens grinder into the greatest wizard of all time.

Rated Teen for some coarse humor and language.
Originally an entry in the February 2015 Writeoff Competition.

This story is a sequel to A Fact for Twilight

Applejack's mother was a Manehattan pony who fell in love with Sweet Apple Acres and the farmer who lived there. The gold necklace he gave her wasn't expensive or flashy, but she loved it anyway. Now that Applejack is ready to propose to Twilight with the same necklace, she hopes it really is fit for a princess.

(Cover art base by Sketchy Jackie. This is a stand alone sequel, you don't have to have read A Fact for Twilight.)

A great evil has arrived on the Apple farm, and also it has DESTROYED THE APPLES!

Applejack and her sister Skeleton Bloom are about to embark on an adventure that will test the apple powers inside of them! Also Apple Bloom was on fire a lot and also was reduced to bones.

And also if you keep reading you'll get to see a fight on a train and also a battle of wits or something.

Derpy just wants to bring ponies their mail. She's not trying to save the world.

It's funny how things work out sometimes.

My "More Most Dangerous Game" entry (7th place). Thanks to Axis of Rotation and AugieDog for editing. Drawing of Derpy is by Celebi-Yoshi. Wasteland by lindbalk. Reviews by InquisitorM, Titanium Dragon, Burraku_Pansa, and Pen Stroke.

The plan, he thought, was perfect. Instead of returning to the mortal world as a shade of his former self, King Sombra would transmute his soul into the body of his greatest foe, using her influence and power to destroy Equestria from the inside and take vengeance on the Princesses that stole his beloved empire.

There's just one problem: after her fight with Tirek, Twilight Sparkle changed her address. This turns out to be a much bigger problem than Sombra thought. A Dinky-Doo-sized problem, to be precise.

5th-place finalist in the More Most Dangerous Game contest.

Cover art crudely Photoshopped by me from this and this. I am art and so can you.

Reading by Neighrator Pony

Orphaned as a filly, a young pegasus named Kaviyayu is raised by an adoptive Earth pony family in a secluded, peaceful village. When a strange unicorn drops by the village, Kaviyayu and the other foals are captivated by her tales of the world, as well as her various spells and illusions for their amusement. But there's something about the way she doesn't speak of her own family... how she never removes her traveller's cloak... how she seems to take a very strong interest in Kaviyayu...

Who is this mysterious mare, what does she seek, and just what is so special about that pendant she wears?

This is the tale of how a seemingly ordinary filly rose to become both a princess and a beacon of love to ponies all over Equestria. Based on the back-story of Princess Cadance, as given by G. M. Berrow's pony novella, Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell. Also loosely inspired by symphonic metal band Nightwish's sixth studio album, Dark Passion Play.

Cover art by the lovely Ayemel.

Now with its own musical accompaniment courtesy of The L-Train!

Pre-reading by Noble Thought, Prak, The Albinocorn, ThatOneWriter, JustAnotherTimeLord, vren55, Majin Syeekoh, Foals Errand, Comet Burst, and Chris. Edited by ChromeMyriad, Titanium Dragon, Noble Thought, Prak, NightWolf289, PresentPerfect, and Chris.

Now featured by:
Fimfiction.net (Feature Box, 01/01/15)
Equestria Daily (01/19/15)
The Royal Canterlot Library (Off-site) (07/13/18) (Onsite) (07/20/18)

Approved by Tag-a-long's Book Club!
Approved by Nonpareil Fiction!
Highly Recommended by PresentPerfect!
Recommended by the Pleasant Commentator and Review Group!

--Entry for the Balloon Ponies Holiday Contest-- 3rd place
Rainbow Dash never did quite understand why Fluttershy bought so many gifts for her animals during the Holidays. To her, it seemed a bit much. After receiving a gift from Discord, Dash had gone home to sleep thinking nothing suspicious about her gift.

Although, the one thing she never expected was to wake up the next morning as a dog toy.