The name's Applejack. Canterlot, the capital of our kingdom was beset by a plague of changelings durin' a weddin'. Had it not been for Cadence and Shining sendin' them packin', we might all be changelings by now. Not long after, Princess Celestia ordered a stallion from every house to enlist for the counterattack against them. He served his kingdom, as did countless other colts, and he came back without a scratch on him. Or, so Ah thought...

All Princess Luna wanted was to wake up and enjoy her night, but after getting pranked one too many times by Philomena she is determined to get revenge. Can the palace withstand a prank war between these two?

Now on Equestria Daily

Applejack couldn't be happier with her life. She owns a great farm and has been married for three years to the love of her life, Rainbow Dash. It's everything she's ever wanted in life, but now she wants something more. A family. A foal. Can she convince Rainbow Dash that they are ready to take a new step in their lives or will a haunting secret from Dash's past prevent them from having one?

(I know a story called "Foal" already exists, but I had this idea for months and I couldn't come up with a different title)

Family. The one thing that is supposed to keep you grounded, the one thing that should mean the most to everypony, but I sacrificed it for my kingdom. I know you cannot hear me, and if you could the wound is too deep to forgive, but Luna, if you're out there, please listen.

History doesn't stop when the curtains close. Short stories highlighting events taking place in the years after the founding of Equestria are told by the princesses. Holiday cheer does not ensue. These are written as a part of the Titano-verse but are compatible with general canon and do not require any additional reading to enjoy.

Current contents:
"Hurricane's Fall" - Now an audiobook recorded by the way too awesome for words Scribbler.
"Wedding Night Jitters."
"Oracle of the Moon."
May be continued at some future date but it is done for now.

When Rainbow ends up stuck in a hospital bed after flying through an unschedualed, violent storm, she gets to know the mare in the bed next to hers. A light grey pegasus named Derpy. A pony who tries so hard to learn, so hard to understand the world but has difficulty remembering and processing new skills. A pony who's wanted nothing more all her life than to be smart, accepted, normal.

When news of a new experimental spell said to increase intelligence begins to spread, Derpy is the first to jump at the idea. Rainbow does everything in her power to help her friend, and with some encouragement from Twilight, the wall-eyed mare is chosen for the experiment.

"Awkward, but worth it."
This is the phrase Twilight Sparkle used when Rainbow Dash first attempted to work up the courage to confess her love for Applejack. Rainbow quickly realized that she was right--it was awkward, but worth it. What she didn't realize was just how applicable that statement would be throughout all her life. That first conversation. That first kiss. That first night spent together. That time Apple Bloom walked in on them. That first apology after their first argument. The arrival of that acceptance letter. And on so many more occasions.
Throughout it all, Rainbow kept smiling.
It was awkward, yes. At times so much so that she wished she could sink into the ground and disappear forever.
But in the end, every time--every time--it was always so very, very worth it.

Rainbow Dash has had the dream of becoming a Wonderbolt since she was a little filly. When she joins the military so she can become one, she finds out what really goes on outside of Equestria. Instead of becoming a Wonderbolt, she is sent to fight with the Zebras in their civil war.

A side-story to Where My Demons Hide.

[EQD Featured - 10/04/12] Derpy Hooves loses her job and home to personal failures and finds that her life of passivity and reckless indulgence have left her with nothing but an empty void in her heart. When she cries out for help, she receives two answers—one from a concerned Twilight Sparkle who tries to set her life back on track, and the other from a phantom mare who lashes her spirit to that of Silver Cross, traveling warrior and refugee of a destroyed nation.

The clumsy but well-intentioned optimism of the Elements of Harmony and the unshakable death wish of her new "soulmate" are challenging enough, but Derpy will have to contend with overzealous agents of the crown, romantic entanglements, wielders of impossible magic, an outrageously evil despot, and even the dreaded contents of Spike's Secret Stash before all's said and done. Little does Derpy understand that her pursuit of a way to fill the holes in her heart and mind will only draw her ever closer to the forbidden truths of Equestria's Lost History . . .

Cover Art by the talented McLarenF1LM22

The following is supplemental material. Do not read before finishing Episode 03.

APPENDIX

Character Ages
Ponies keep track of their age by seasons, not years. Birthdays are still celebrated annually, but measuring age in years is an unreasonable choice for creatures with a lifespan of roughly 25-30 - there just isn't enough room for demarcations that any reader could relate to. For clarity, the character's ages as of the time of this story are given in three categories below.

MLPL2 Character Age Chart [GDocs Format]

For reference, please note that MLPL2 begins about three years after the Nightmare Moon incident.
More characters will be added as they receive significant roles in the story.

Deleted Scenes

Episode 01, Scene 1 (Draft 4)
Episode 01 [ver. 1]

WANTED:

The newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle has set up a bold new initiative to discover new magic, and is sending out an open call to the unicorns of Equestria to apply for her research team. No experience in magical theory or research necessary. Enthusiasm and out-of-the-box thinking a must. The Equestrian government is not responsible for any physical, emotional, or magical trauma experienced during the course of the project or the application process.

Cover art by Page Turner