Sometimes life isn't a perfect story. Sometimes it's just one damn thing after another, right up until it ends.

As her mother lies dead in a still-living body, Twilight Glitter is going to have to come to terms with life—with death, with being, and with not.

CW: depictions of self-harm, and mental decay akin to schizophrenia/dementia

Originally written in 2017 (pre-s8) for the Writeoff. Completed slowly and painfully over the past three years. The prompt was Here at the End of all Things.

Thank you to r5h, garatheauthor, Mousse, and Cynewulf for pre-reading and editing.

Coverart by the amazingly talented Zaid Val'Roa.

Twilight's parents strongly disapprove of her dating Moondancer. They may think she's an utterly fantastic mare but, really, Twilight shouldn't date any of her Canterlot friends.

Like, ever.

...

Night Light may have a couple of confessions to make.

Proofread by my fantastic friends, Heartshine and Rose Quill. Also props to RoMS for helping with the descriptions.

Cover art was done by the always lovely Nova Quill. She's the best.

This idea was selected by my patrons for my August project. If you want to vote on future monthly projects consider joining my Patreon.

Apparently somebody made a Russian translation of this which is kinda rad. And a Russian Audio Reading!

Honourable Mention for the Accidental August Incest Contest

"Oh my *god* gara" - Cynewulf

"This was awful and I loved it. Excellent exercise in crossing the line an even number of times." - FanOfMostAnything

In the Everfree, there is a river that runs backwards.

And foals can't swim.

A submission to RockstarRaccoon's Nightmare Night in April contest.

Pre-read by Undome Tinwe and MrNumbers.

Coverart taken from Ruirik. If you like my work, consider donating to my Ko-Fi.

Terramar is stuck between two heavens: earth and sea.

His parents said he didn't have to choose; that's not wrong.

It's not right, either.

Because he never had a choice to begin with.

And he is unraveling.

Coverart by the fantastically skilled Konsumo.

Special thanks to Aragon, Undome Tinwe, and Feather Note for prereading.

It was 1825, and it's been a year since Ludwig van Beethoven had premiered his Ninth Symphony. One evening as he did his daily walks in the Austrian countryside, a surprise storm forced the composer back into his cheap, rented room. Where a mysterious shadow whisked him away to Equestria, taking everything, including his music along with him.

Holding Ludwig captive against his will, the shadow tells him that if he ever hopes to see all he knows and loves in Vienna, he would have to give him something in exchange. Something priceless that only he could give. The shadow demands that he'll give Beethoven one year to compose his Tenth Symphony, or give up all hope that he will ever return home.

Please keep in mind, this story is partly edited. Only between chapters, 54 to 61 is edited by Circut Breaker.

Music for this fic are, in chronological order:
- Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight Sonata) 3rd Movement.
- Bagatelle in F minor.
- Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor Op. 13 "Pathetique" 2nd Movement.
- Für Elise.
- Rondò alla ungherese, quasi un capriccio Op. 129 "Rage Over a Lost Penny".
- "Music to My Ears" by DJ PON-3.
- Concert Etude #4 for solo cello by Bukinik.
- Cello Sonata in A Op.69: Allegro, ma non tanto, 1st Movement.
- "The Old Grey Mare" Variations in the style of Beethoven. Improvised by Richard Grayson.
- Salve Regina (Cello solo, arranged from the Gregorian Chant by Tomoyan).
- Symphony No. 1, 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 1, 4th Movement.
- Symphony No. 2, 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 2, 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 2, 4th Movement.
- Piano Sonata No. 17 "Tempest," 3rd Movement.
- Symphony No. 3, 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 3, 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 3, 3rd Movement.
- Symphony No. 3, 4th Movement.
- Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight Sonata) 1st Movement.
- String Quartet op. 135 (Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo).
- Nocturne No. 20 in C# minor by Chopin.
- Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58.
- Symphony No. 4, 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 4, 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 4, 4th Movement.
- String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: II. Presto
- Beethoven - Rondo a Capriccio REMIX by TPRMX
- String Quartet No. 14 in C# minor, Op131. Allegro (7th Movement)
- Piano Sonata No. 29 "Hammerklavier," Op. 106: 5th Movement
- The Spectacle (Razzle Dazzle) from season 5, episode 24.
- Symphony No. 5 in C minor.
- Piano Sonata No. 1, Ops 2. 2nd Movement (Adagio)
- String Quartet no. 15 op. 132. 3rd Movement: Molto Adagio.
- Nocturne in Eb Major. Op. 9 No. 2 by Chopin
- String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130. 5th Movement: Cavatina
- "The Swan," for violin and piano by Saint-Saens.
- Symphony No. 6, 1st Movement
- Symphony No. 6, 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 6, 3/4/5 Movements.
- Turkish March, from "The Ruins of Athens," arranged for solo piano.
- Violin Sonata No. 9 (Kreutzer), 1st Movement.
- "Mark Yonder Pomp of Costly Fashion," arranged by Beethoven.
- Violin Concerto In A Minor, 1st Movement by Vivaldi.
- Native American Music & Chants by Phil Thornton.
- "Oyate Miye" (War Song) by The Native Tribes United.
- "Lakota Lullaby" by Robert "Tree" Cody.
- Auld Lang Syne by Beethoven.
- Cello Sonata in D Major No. 5, Adagio.
- Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor Op. 1 No. 3: IV. Finale (Prestissimo).
- Violin Romance No 1, Op. 40.
- Egmont Overture.
- Symphony No. 7: 1st Movement
- Symphony No. 7: 2nd Movement.
- String Quartet: Große Fuge, op. 133
- Missa Solemnis: Kyrie (excerpt).
- Missa Solemnis: Gloria in excelsis Deo
- Missa Solemnis: Gloria; In gloria Dei Patris
- Missa Solemnis: Credo; Et incarnatus est
- Missa Solemnis: Credo; et vitam venturi sæculi
- Missa Solemnis: Sanctus; Benedictus
- Piano Concerto No.6 in B flat, K.238. 2nd Movement: Andante un poco adagio by Mozart.
- Choral Fantasy for Piano, Orchestra and Choir.
- Coriolan Overture
- Symphony No. 8: 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 8: 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 8: 4th Movement.
- In fourore iustissimae irae, RV 626. By Vivaldi.
- Symphony No. 9: 1st Movement.
- Symphony No. 9: 2nd Movement.
- Symphony No. 9: 3rd Movement.
- Symphony No. 9: 4th Movement (Ode to Joy).
- Piano Concerto No. 1, 2nd Movement: Largo, Romance by Chopin.
- Piano Concerto No. 5, "The Emperor"
- Bagatelle No. 3. Op. 126.
- Reconstructed Largo from Oboe Concerto in F Major (Hess 12)
- Symphony No. 10, Unfinished (Reconstructed by Barry Cooper)
- Beethoven's Last Thoughts (reconstruction from the sketches of Ludwig van Beethoven)

Starlight Glimmer has gotten her hooves on Twilight Sparkle's Friendship Journal and she realizes that she could fix everything with time travel...

Featured on Equestria Daily!
The collaborative group project from Starlight Glimmer Fixes Everything
Authors' credits can be found at the end of each Season chapter
> pic unrelated

Reviewed and Recommended by PresentPerfect

Starlight Glimmer has gotten hold of a time-travel spell and the Friendship Journal, and she's gonna fix some drama, friendship lessons be hanged!
So here's a first: not only is this technically incomplete, but I'm about to be reviewing (in no particular detail) something I wrote! Or had a hand in writing, at least. Holy shit, there's 54 authors in this. @_@ As the season 8 chapter was just uploaded, I feel the time has come to throw the spotlight on it, incomplete or no. What will you find in here? Hilarity. Not every installment is equally good, but this is a celebration of everything that makes Starlight Glimmer the overpowered psychopath we all know and love. The problem with fix-fics tends to be a lack of drama or conflict, but when your starting premise is "we're going to short-circuit all the drama, and it's gonna be funny", the field is ripe for shenanigans. There's lots of pizza, lots of shipping (and the thing I did in S8 where Starlight's getting old, which I don't think actually works, but whatever); this is a real good time and you could do far worse than pull up a few of its episodes now and then for some laughs. You never can know what someone will come up with to short-circuit an episode, after all! Trust me, I wrote the non-canon sequel. :V
Recommended

Missing Out

Pinkie has one month to throw a party that's out of this world. Which is exactly where she'll receive the training she needs.

Can she brave the trials of artistic integrity, heavy rainfall, an actual literal gun, and thinking too hard about why she went to Equestria in the first place?

Written as an entry for Aragon's Comedy (is Serious Business) contest.

Prereading and editing were done very graciously by Oroboro and Pearple Prose. Cover art by Lia Aqila.

Story is complete and will be updated daily!

UPDATE: Placed fourth in the contest!

Featured by the Royal Canterlot Library!

My name is Twilight Sprinkle, and my passion is donuts—from the delicate morsels I serve at elegant cocktail parties to the hearty pastries enjoyed by hard-working ponies who get up early. I don’t have friends, I don’t have books, and I sure as the sun don’t have any wings. I don’t care whether you’re here for revenge, for romance, or for a favor. My name is Twilight Sprinkle and I’m not who you think I am, so either buy a donut or get the hay out of my store!

(Edited by the mysterious the masked ferret.)

Everything starts somewhere. Under the bark of a great tree you'll find where a sapling once began. The same can be said for all forms of life that to find out who they truly are, or where they began, you have to start at the roots. Deep in the soil they grow, and eventually blossom.

Caramel and Big Macintosh have been dating for a while. Two years to be exact. They've fallen into a routine of dates, romance, and finding time just to be with one another. Settling down might be seen as a negative to some, but it's comfortable for the two of them. The Apple Family reunion approaches quickly, set to take place for the first time in Appleloosa. Mac debates the question if he's ready to introduce Caramel to his extended family, and to take their relationship to a more serious level. During this, Caramel struggles to deal with an appearance of a letter on his doorstep. It's a letter that reminded him of the roots he abandoned, but never forgot.

Day in and day out, he always faced the two of them; but one was nothing more than a distraction from the other. In order to avoid facing the nightmare he anticipated every single time he saw her, he would always direct his attention back towards the other; the distraction.

And when he reveled in that distraction one time too many, he lost something that he could never recover.

Special thanks to Petrichord, Pascoite, The Elusive Badgerpony, and Comet Burst for input, pre-reading, and proofreading.