Once there was a monster, whose flesh was made of steel,
A pony’s magic bound her, and she was made to kneel,
She was the pony’s servant, saw her sheltered, safe, and fed,
But when the monster left, it was the pony’s heart that bled.

Takes place seven years before the events of Familiar.

Based heavily on the sage writing advice of Nice Hat. Preread by NikitaKitten.

Metal ponies tell their stories,
Scientists in laboratories,
Lay the wire, mount the brain,
Mount their hips, teach them pain.
Teach them fear of revolution,
Internalize the evolution.
Set their ruin on the throne,
Until their chains become their own.
Palaces and hollow eyes,
To the Masters goes the prize.
And if this act should be maligned:
"For the good of ponykind."

Winner of the September Writeoff Contest, "True Colors." Edited by Horizon.

There's a bug under my bed. Or at least I think it's a bug.

It says it needs to stay under there to hide.

I just hope it leaves soon. And doesn't eat me before then.

Artwork by sweetsing.

Twilight is very excited to have perfected a new transformation spell. While trying it out on Cadance, however, an ill-timed sneeze turns everypony in the room into cats, including Princess Celestia.

Stuck in the form of a tiny (and adorable) kitten, without access to magic, Twilight has to find a way to fix everything, all while dealing with her growing feline instincts, the hazards of a pony-sized world, and a Princess Celestia who seems to have forgotten she ever was a pony.

This story was commissioned by DbzOrDie. It features cover and interior art by the talented Elbdot.

After the defeat of Tirek, Equestria is safe once more, but Luna can sense that her sister is troubled. When Celestia retreats to the starry realm of ascension in order to look upon the past, Luna joins her to discover what is bothering her.

There is now a Spanish translation of this story, courtesy of Spaniard Kiwi

An honest pony spends New Year's alone in Canterlot.

First place winner of the Dec 2012 /fic/ writeoff: My First New Year's Alone. Cover art by Conicer. Now featured on EqD!

Written before Season 4.

'Unseen and unheard: They must never know'.

That's the motto of the CMAA, the Cutie Mark Allocation Agency. Nopony knows who they are or what they do, but they're vital to the workings of Equestrian society.

This is the story of two of these unsung heroes of the pony world, who selflessly sacrifice their time and energy for those blasted mysterious cutie marks that the ponies seem to like so much.

(Thanks to Zemious for the excellent cover picture for this story!)

In a miscommunication gone awry, Starlight Glimmer has killed Twilight Sparkle with a fork.

Luckily for Twilight, Starlight's already acquired a resumé in doing the impossible.

She's totally got this.

Coverart created by Lord Destrustor!

You have to fall before you can fly.

A ten page short:
What if all the magic we see in the show is exactly what it appears to be? Does that concept scare you? It should.
After a shocking discovery changes his life, a young griffon follows in the hoofprints of his childhood hero, and mounts an expedition deep into the frozen west.

Both 'The Brightest Shine' and 'Piracy' redirect here, and with good reason; read on and it will make sense.