Everypony has secrets, and Applejack is no different. Apple Bloom's looking for answers only her older sister can give, but Applejack doesn't want to talk. If her secrets came to light, she fears they could crush the filly who looks up to her with nothing short of admiration.

Cover image by latecustomer. Story inspired by image.

Featured on Equestria Daily on Nov. 11, 2012.

See also this song, which was featured on Equestria Daily on June 27 and inspired by this story.

The Shaper is a smith of unparalleled skill, her creations the most sought after in the fallen world. When a pony named Lyra comes to her with a unique commission she has to put all her skill to the test to craft a weapon of great power. For Lyra's goal is not an easy one, and it is not just any weapon that can kill a Dragon.

A story inspired by this and this image, as well as this challenge by CDRW (whose fic A Still More Glorious Dawn Awaits is quite good).

Steady Hoof is a skilled thief who has been driven out from his home in the Heartland to seek refuge in the City of Gardens and Cages. When his life is saved by a pegasus named Scootaloo, he is instantly smitten. But her life has been hard, and she has forsaken love. To win her over, Steady must brave the dark heart of the city and do the impossible: steal the Tyrant's heart.

Set in the same world as The Archer and The Smith

On this day, every year, Pinkie sits at the crossroads and waits for her.

Image by DawnAllies of deviantART

"All my life, I've wanted to fly
But I don't have the wings, and I wonder why
I can't break away..."
Most pegasi figure out flying easily enough. Heck, most of them figure out how to do it before they even get their cutie marks.

But not me. I couldn’t do it, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t even hover. Not for more than a few seconds, anyway. And not even Rainbow Dash, the greatest flier in Equestria, could seem to help me. We tried everything, and I failed every time. Day after day, I tried – and day after day, I failed, until finally I was ready to just give up. I’d never be able to do it. Nopony would ever be able to help me to fly...

...until one day, somepony did.

Twilight Sparkle's friends have lived long and happy lives. Now their time is coming to an end, but Rainbow Dash, at least, will not go gently. Twilight has the power to save her friend's life. Is it worth violating the natural order?

"The things that pull at your heart—the memorial in the prologue, the wedding in Chapter 1, the births and deaths and relationships to come—are not the point of the story: they are the stakes, and the story is at its heart about a decision that must be made."
—horizon

Apple Bloom had always dreamed of the day. She just never dreamed that it would be a nightmare.

Fancypants has always relied on his legendary wit and charm to endure tedious high-society events, but there's one pony he can't fool: his lovely wife. Fleur de Lis has chosen Ponyville as the venue for a major talent show, and as her supportive and obedient husband it's his duty to attend. But there's a mischievous streak behind that dazzling smile, and a poignant heart-to-heart with an unlikely kindred spirit brings it out in full force. A story about how important it is to love, cherish, and... there was something else, I'm sure of it. Oh, never-mind: the show must go on!

This is the story that won first place in a collaborative contest involving ponychan's Art and Fic boards. It was daydreamed, written, and edited in only three days, using the cover illustration as a creative prompt. It's been cleaned up slightly for errors and clarity, but the story itself is unchanged. You can find the picture that served as the prompt for this story here, and you can check out all the other finalist stories here. Do, please, read and enjoy!

A letter from Celestia interrupts one of Pinkie's parties with disturbing news. Now friendships will be pushed to the limit as Twilight struggles to uncover which of her friends is not who, or even what, she appears to be.

(While not a romance, this does contain a shipped pair)

in Russian

The Cutie Mark Crusaders have been the best of friends for the longest time now. They've done countless stunts and gone on many exciting adventures together, all in an attempt to find their special talents and earn their Cutie Marks. As a result, it'd only be natural for a certain unicorn to begin to develop feelings for a certain pegasus...right?

[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufCWyWjvUD0/U4fvslbPIkI/AAAAAAAByuE/nPdTQEetuXA/s1600/Headcanon.png [/img]