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!

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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

This story is a sequel to Chrysalis Works at Quills and Sofas

Luster Dawn finds out, much to her consternation, that Chrysalis works at Quills and Sofas.

Rarity supposedly has ghosts in her face. Vinyl thinks she can remove them.

Twilight walks into Quills and Sofas to find out, to her surprise, that Chrysalis works there.

Art made by Kamikakushi!

Now with a silky smooth Youtube reading by Wayart Narration!

One of Chrysalis's soldiers finds out just how insane Chrysalis is.

Preread by Rainedash!

Pinkie Pie is the richest pony in the history of Equestria. The secret to her wealth?

She has no idea.

Helping a lost filly find her way home should have been a walk in the park for Princess Twilight Sparkle, but this time things turned out to be a bit stranger than she was expecting.

All antagonists should have some sort of redeeming trait, such as a tragic past, that can explain why they are the way they are. Queen Chrysalis is no exception.

Yet what if a green filly changed all that?

Learn the tragic tale and short-lived friendship of young Chrysalis and Anonfilly.

This story is a sequel to Who Needs Enemies -- Part I

Thanks to Discord, Twilight has some new friends. Actually, they're her old friends. Now she wants her old friends back... that is, her new friends. It's complicated. But even Discord doesn't realize how far he's gone this time...

For more of this series, see: The Visiting Team -- Part I.

And also check out the entire series, beginning with Not Exactly Friends.

For a thousand years, there was just Celestia. Then Cadance appeared, Luna returned -- and now Twilight has ascended. There are ponies who are very curious about just what happened, why -- and how. Especially the how. Twilight herself is on that list, a freshly-minted princess with far more questions than answers, about to face a brand new one: what truly makes an alicorn?

And what happens if it goes wrong?

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Cover art by Harwick.