With nothing happening, no world-conquering villains or Crystal Hearts being shattered and so on, Twilight is bored. She has nothing to do, plainly. But while in the middle of a drab reading session, she notices something doesn't feel right. Not to her, but in the night sky. She can't see it, but she can sense it. Something not from this world has entered her world, and it could be the first ever message from aliens.

And perhaps those aliens are trying to say hello.

(Btw, look up "Pioneer Probe Plaque" if you want the image described here. I can't post the actual thing because of mild nudity in it, but you can search it for context.)

(Review by PaulAsaran!)

Equestria and the Crystal Empire have fallen to the Changeling Hegemony, led by the brutal Queen Chrysalis at the head of a mechanized horde of guns and tanks. Princess Cadance stayed in the Crystal Empire; Princess Twilight stayed in Equestria. Chrysalis rules the continent, only defied by Nova Griffonia, the poor Griffon colony in the north.

Across the ocean, the Griffonian Reich pledges to reclaim its lost territory, sundered by revolution a generation ago. While the Alicorn Sisters retreat to New Mareland, Princess Flurry Heart and Shining Armor turn to Aquileia, the Republic born out of the ashes of the Griffonian Reich. The Kaiser of the Reich is only a child, subject to a regent bent on war and conquest.

Flurry knows the Reich and Chrysalis have worked together.

She knows that war is coming to Aquileia.

She knows that Celestia and Luna abandoned her mother and Twilight Sparkle.

She knows that the world is on fire, and she is the last true Princess of Ponies.

She knows she will go home.

Cover Art by Opal Radiance, commissioned by Sunstreaker.
https://www.deviantart.com/opalradiance

For the Sixth Annual Equestria at War Writing Contest...
and an Express Ticket to Horse Hell.

The year is 1023.

The world burns. Harmony has been forgotten in the fires of war. Guns, tanks, planes... technology outpaces magic and cruelties hitherto unknown are daily occurrences. One of them is Chiropterra, the last remnant of Nightmare Moon's rebellion. A thousand years ago, her loyalists fled across the sea to Zebrica, and their offspring have built a millennia-long legacy on fear and suffering. The beleaguered Hippogriffs of Aris have been pushed back to their home islands, as they were decades ago under the Storm King.

But no longer. Equestria and the Crystal Empire have withstood the invasion of Queen Chrysalis at great cost. They have rebuilt, and now the Princesses turn their eyes to their last mistake. Across the ocean, the Griffonian Empire, reforged and reformed, sees an opportunity to thaw relations between three species.

The greatest expeditionary force ever assembled, bearing weaponry never used before in war, descends upon north Zebrica to end the long night of terror. Two of the leaders find themselves at one of the first landings: Flurry Heart, the Crystal Princess and heir apparent to the Crystalline Throne, and Grover VI, the constitutional Kaiser of the Griffonian Empire. They are barely adults, and this is their first war.

Everyone wishes they took it seriously.

When Celestia first took her crown, she quickly realized that a few ponies were a little too eager to sing her praises.

Naturally, she tried to get them to calm down.

Over a thousand years later, she's still trying.

And then the other alicorns start getting cults of their own...

This is an April Fools Day story with some actual effort put into it.

Teen sex for talk of harems, and by extension, that sex exists.

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

Following her tragic death by yet another villain of the week, Twilight Sparkle finds herself facing something all alicorns eventually uncover.

The continue screen.

Twilight Sparkle gathers her friends after receiving a rather distressing letter from her mentor, Princess Celestia. She's not happy about the contents, at all.

It seems her friends all went on some magical adventure without her. And now they're all in a lot of trouble.

Sex tag and Teen rating for some crude humor.

The Fire of Friendship has all but faded. One thousand years ago, Equestria fractured... those who disagreed with Celestia's rule left under the leadership of Princess Luna to found their own nation, their own way of life. Seventy years later, Celestia and Luna both disappeared during the first war, leaving the battered nations leaderless in their absence.

Over the last nine hundred years wars have frequently waged between Equestria and Lunaria, each seeking to unite ponykind under their own ideals. Equestria's mastery of magic often gave it the edge in battle, but never enough for a decisive victory. Peace reigns for now, but recent developments in Lunaria signal a shift in the balance between the two divided nations...

The nation of Equestria has been exploring their little slice of the universe for some time now. From launching probes into deep space, to landing ponies on the moon. Sending things beyond the grasp of their planet has become almost routine. However, with every mission into space, there comes a time when the voyage must end. What happens when Equestria experiences the end of a voyage that they didn't begin?

Updated and Revised on October 5th, 2014

Twilight Sparkle suddenly finds herself caught up in a grand tradition for the immortal rulers of Equestria: holding their own funerals. What can possibly go wrong? The answer: a lot. A whole lot.

Sex tag is for only the mention of it happening. Nothing truly explicit happens.

A commission from someone who wishes to remain anonymous.