Stress levels were already high, with Twilight directing her first royal Hearth's Warming pageant and unexpected snowstorms escaping the Everfree. Then the changeling army arrived.

Now, with Queen Chrysalis holding Ponyville hostage and the clock ticking on suspiciously pointless negotiations, it's up to Rarity to match wits with the invaders and save the holiday. However, as she digs ever deeper into the queen's tangled plot, what she learns could force her to choose between her friendships and her conscience.

Off-season note: This is a Hearth's Warming story like Die Hard is a Christmas movie (but with espionage instead of explosions). Don't skip it just because the holiday's over.

Critical praise:

"A high-tension thriller where nothing is what it seems." — Titanium Dragon (rating: "Highly Recommended")

"An entertaining ride from start to finish … watching all the pieces fall into place is fantastic." — Present Perfect (rating: "Highly Recommended")

"Props to horizon for an intricate web of deception. Most writers have difficulty with crafting mysteries … this one, however, had me completely fooled from beginning to end." — PaulAsaran (rating: "Why Haven't You Read This Yet?")

"It’s a rare mystery and thriller that can keep things tense and make the mystery actually tough to guess as you go along, while still feeling like a natural conclusion. ... The end result of layers unveiled and red herrings contradicted makes it sing." — Ghost Mike (rating: "Really Good")

Second-place winner in the "Behind Closed Doors" December writeoff, now expanded and revised! Featured on EqD! Rated "Recommended" by MLPmatthewl419!

Big thanks to Titanium Dragon for post-Writeoff editing assistance.

Comments contain spoilers!

After another failed attempt to get their cutie marks, the Cutie Mark Crusaders stumble upon a wagon in the woods with a familiar unicorn showmare inside. In awe of Trixie's presence and her tales of travelling across Equestria, they decide she may just be the unicorn to help them get their cutie marks - in stage magic! And it may just be the most difficult trick Trixie's ever attempted.

Pre-readers: RTStephens, The Albinocorn, and Cerulean Voice.
Cover art made from vectors by Acer-Rubrum and thatguy1945

Featured on Equestria Daily

When Spike sees Scootaloo unhappy at the thought of never flying, he decides to personally help her take to the sky. They study a book on the art of flying from Twilight to find what Scootaloo is still missing, and gradually they begin to make some progress. But Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash are concerned that the duo might be risking their own safety as their efforts become increasingly dangerous.

This takes place in the canon MLP universe (or the canon fanfic MLP universe if you'd prefer). There is humor, here and there, but it's largely a slice of life.

I will say once again that this is not a shipping fan fiction. I am not shipping Spike and Scootaloo or Twilight and Rainbow Dash; all these relationships are platonic. That being said, I may be open to trying to create a romantic fanfic in the future, but for now, I'm sticking with platonic.

This is another idea I kept pondering and wanted to share. I thought it would be a great idea for an MLP episode but I realized those writers can't read my mind.

Huge kudos to Jerome for drawing the cover art.
Check it out on this link: http://jeronimom.deviantart.com/art/Cover-Art-2-592744966

Rarity wakes up with a splitting headache, a hatred for light and sound, fuzzy memories she's sure are better left forgotten, and Trixie Lulamoon clung onto her beneath the covers.

Join Rarity as she struggles to understand how and why the most boastful mare in the universe has dedicated every living breathing moment to please her. And feel free to laugh at Rarity's pitiful attempts to hate it.

Rated "Teen" for suggestive themes, implied alcoholism, innuendo, and crack-shipping syndrome... Don't judge me.

Enjoy!

This story is a sequel to Shadowbolts Adventures: Puppy Love

Ever since joining her friends, Sunny Flare has devoted herself to being there for them and helping them. So when she hears that Twilight is feeling lonely on those long, cold nights, she decides to help her find love... by taking her to a day spa that doubles as a dating service.

Rated T for mature subject matter.

Adagio Dazzle is everything Trixie ever wanted to be. Confident. Commanding. Drop-dead gorgeous. Magical.
From the moment Trixie felt the tug of Siren's power and saw Adagio she felt deep in her heart that something was missing in her life.
And the only way to get it is to win the Battle of the Bands.

Note: This is Adagio/Trixie shortfic that sort of just came to me uninvited and demanded I write it down.
Contains alternate events during Rainbow Rocks time.
Contains no clop, but does reference girls having angry, passionate, love-hate sex.

After storming into Princess Celestia's personal study unannounced, Twilight Sparkle soon learns her yearly battles against the forces of evil are a little more scripted than she'd thought.

And this year, Princess Celestia might've just outdone herself.

Now with a youtube reading! Here!

This story is a sequel to First Seconds

Fleetfoot had everything. Her job, her coworkers, her friends. Fleetfoot knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she owed her place among the best to skill and talent, but equally to luck. And she was oh so grateful for that luck. But she finds herself less and less happy, especially when left to think alone. She’s started picking up old habits she thought she had left behind, and noticing more and more all the things she doesn’t have.
But well, that's life.

Now where was she going next?

Someplace called... Ponyville?

Art is from the amazing Underpable with editing by Lapis and our friend, Amino.

Well before Big Mac came to the Pie family rock farm, there was another pony who caught Marble Pie's eye. That pony was very different from Big Mac... and at the time, so was Marble Pie. But her oldest sister, Limestone, was there to watch and to worry.

Defensibly contains spoilers for S5E20, despite being set earlier in time than that episode. Cover picture by senseidezzy.

Prince Blueblood, distant but traceable blood relative of Princess Celestia, lives as a tool of Equestrian society. He views his very existence as a debt he must pay, with few career options other than civil service. Fortunately, an attorney's duties suit him.

He believes in Equestrian society, for better or for worse. In his opinion, changelings rank among the "worse". So when the commander of the Wonderbolts accuses one of murdering Rainbow Dash, he sees his involvement as foreordained, especially once a Princess signs on to oppose him with revenge on her mind.

He is also widely seen as an extreme narcissist, only tolerated because of his link to Celestia. But many things are not as they seem.