Stoic. Calm. Unflappable. And above all, Professional. These are attributes that the pianist Frederic Horseshoepin likes to pride himself on.

But sometimes it's difficult to stay professional. Frederic finds it difficult to maintain a veneer of stoicism when he has to deal with his own feelings. What can he do when he's in love with a mare that he cannot hope to have?

Everypony has a hobby. Pinkie likes rock collecting, Fluttershy likes reading, and so on.

Applejack is no exception.

Story inspired by cover art made by dstears.

Written during NaNoWriMo 2022.

A thank you to Scriblits Talo for proofreading before publishing.

Now with a Russian translation by NovemberDragon.

Rated "Decent" by Ghost Mike.

After dying in a train crash, Twilight finds herself offered a deal by the Reaper: a game of chess for her soul. Twilight accepts, but there's something off about the game. Something she can't put her hoof on.

But the answer to that question is just perfect for who she is.

Cover art is from the Poets of the Fall album Clearview.

A season one story. In the wake of a nasty storm, Pinkie stumbles across an injured changeling who is struggling with his own nature. But the Hive is not so eager to let strays run loose.

An entry in the My Little Pony Renaissance Contest. Cover by KurogeWaPony.

Two decades after the banishment of Nightmare Moon, her shadow still lingers. Princess Celestia has been left to tend the Twin Thrones alone and protect us all from those who would see Equestria crumble. Our enemies take many forms: some would tear the world down with their claws, others with their smiles. They are monsters all the same.

I have had many names, and I have been many things. Today I am Swift Sweep, and I work for the Equestrian Bureau for State Security.

Special thanks:
NCMares (DeviantArt) for the gorgeous cover art.
Octavia Harmony: primary beta reader and editor throughout the many months of production.
PaulAsaran: for great help with and feedback on plot development and initial story drafting.
Kleora, Cerulean Voice, Nonagon: for further help with editing and story development.

Scootaloo might be no good at sums, but she knows Scootaloo plus scooter equals the fastest, awesomest, most attention-grabbing-est thing on the ground.

She also knows Applejack minus anyone actually fun to be with equals one really lame time.

And yet, spending a day with the Apple farmer and her broader Apple family seems strangely attractive to her. They might not be the most exciting of ponies, (and when it comes to cool, they're certainly the most clueless), but they have something Scootaloo really, really wants. Deep down. Something she keeps coming back for.

Not that she's going to admit it. Cos that would be seriously lame.

Hanna, the CEO of Hofvarpnir Studios, just won the contract to write the official My Little Pony MMO. Hanna has built an A.I. Princess Celestia and given her one basic drive: to satisfy everybody's values through friendship and ponies. Princess Celestia will satisfy your values through friendship and ponies, and it will be completely consensual.

Luna, retired, receives a letter from Poppy, an art prodigy with terrible nightmares. She agrees to help.

Tonight, Poppy will discover there is Nothing to be afraid of.

Edited by Sky_Paladin.

Nightmare Moon won. She defeated Celestia, broke the Elements, banished the sun. This all happened a very long time ago. So long ago, that she has had plenty of time to change her mind.

Of course, fixing our mistakes is never so simple, and never without consequences. Even with particularly potent help.

"If you came to conquer, you'll be king for a day. / But you too will deteriorate and quickly fade away."
— "No Control" by Bad Religion

A big thanks to Craine, Sorren, and Idylia for prereading and editing. If you enjoyed the story, don't forget to check out their pages.

Equestria Daily
Royal Canterlot Library (FIMfic version)
Russian translation by Doof
Chinese translation by Dreams Set Free

Kitsune Heart has done a dramatic reading of this story! Find it over here.
ObabScribbler has done a dramatic reading of this story! It includes a full cast of voice actors. Find it over here.

Comments contain spoilers.

Lightning Dust isn't a kind pony and she isn't a pony who cares about others. All she ever wanted was to get a breakthrough, to have one thing go right for her, no matter the cost. It didn't matter what would appear in her way, what would hinder her and who would help her, because in the end all that mattered was that she would become a wonderbolt.

Strangely enough, her dream was crushed and Lightning Dust found herself flying into a direction, which she didn't know. Maybe she had hoped to find an answer, but all she found was a village attacked by an ursa major. Now she is just wondering why she couldn't simply ignore it.

Coverart by: http://karzahnii.deviantart.com/