[Complete! With TVTropes apparently!]
Also, apparently, an animated trailer.

In a world of brass and steam, Twilight Sparkle had thought she had made a life-changing discovery with the invention of the telescope. For better or worse, she was correct.

Now her discovery has not only changed her life, but the lives of those she seeks out in her desperate attempt to contact the only other creature as lonely as Twilight herself.

It all would have been much simpler, but it had to be the one Twilight could only call The Mare on the Moon.

Decidedly not within walking distance, then.

[Featured on EQD before story was meant to be submitted. 4/03/2015]

[Editing team: Southpaw, Wolfvenom, Maskedferret, SwanSong and BluePaladin42, without whom this story would be a fraction of its current state.]
[Special thanks to Novel-Idea for the updated cover]

Everypony enjoys myths and ponytales, even if they know such things aren't real. Alicorns fighting against a spirit of chaos? An ancient princess trapped in a library under a tree, waiting to be found? Quite enchanting and fantastic tales yes, but nonetheless as fictional as Daring Do and other such stories. At least, that's what Rarity used to think.

She doesn't anymore.

Dedicated to Annuska for being as amazing a writer as she is a friend.

Now a physical book!!!
Patreon!
Based on an old oneshot.
Chapter Art by Arctic Waters // Graphic Design and Typography by Swan Song.

A vengeful demon steals Starswirl the Bearded from his pleasant afterlife and shoves his spirit in a book.

Starswirl is secretly elated by this.

Not so much once he meets the pony he'll be staying with for the indefinite future.

Featured on 13/02/2015

Proofread by the wonderful God Of Physics and CryHavoc21.

Art courtesy of the awesome Lightspeed!

In the magical land of Equestria, two alicorn sisters raise the Sun and the Moon every day to give the world a night and day cycle, basic for the survival of life. There are also two alicorns who rule over two very core aspects of life and harmony itself. Those are Love and Friendship. While not as ancient as the two sisters, all princesses are essential to the world's balance.
This balance is also sustained by the hard-working ponies, who make the seasons change and manage the weather to fit their needs, so everypony has enough food and water, and every animal is also attended to assure that any of them are caught in the changes of seasons.

But what about the planet itself? What about Mother Nature?
This is the question that Gaia asks when she arrives to this foreign world. After so much work her son persuaded her to take a long vacation in Equestria, saying that she needed one and assuring her that he would be in charge now, and she must take a break. But what can a several billion-year old alicorn possibly do to pass her time in this land?

(SimEarth/MLP Crossover)
(Timelife of Gaia's life 'till the start of the story)

Daring Do seeks a favor from her sister in Ponyville. Due to buried grudges, things quickly get out of hoof. She soon finds herself on her most perilous mission yet... with her biggest fan in the world. In the midst of truth and lies, loyalty and treachery, love and hate, one thing is clear ― some family situations are stranger than fiction.

The story extends in Through the Looking-glass and What Pinkie Found There and The Daughter Doo: Honorary Cutie Mark Crusader.

Many thanks to Honey Mead and statoose for their watchful and helpful pre-reading.

Ckat_Myla and statoose (CatNStat) have started an excellent reading of TSD.

For as long as the ponies of Equestria have known, the common conception of the diamond dogs are that they are nothing more than savage bipedal canine creature that have a penchant for causing mischief and scouring the rich earth for gems and minerals. However, that is not the truth.

When tasked with an objective that is far too difficult for the royal guards and even the elements of harmony to handle, Shining Armor turns to the princesses for guidance. What he receives for back up will end up surprising more than the stalwart captain.

If I said that this wasn't inspired by metal gear solid five: the phantom pain, then I'd be lying.

Semper Pie is one of Equestria's most honored and decorated soldiers. Protector of the innocent, hero of countless battles, champion of all ponykind. Even Shining Armor, ex-Captain of the Royal Guard, and Prince Consort to the Crystal Princess, looks up to this great stallion. Truly one of the best and greatest ponies to have ever served under the Royal Sister's banner.

Still, where did he come from? Where was he born? What has he done? Does he have any family? Why would he suddenly want to come to Ponyville?

And why, for the love of Celestia, does he specifically want to meet with the Element of Laughter herself?

Twilight Sparkle broke time when she got her cutie mark. Now Twilight and Sparkle are sisters from another time. Twilight is hailed as the potentially greatest light magician of all time, and already has a reputation as a hero by the time she goes to Ponyville. This isn't her story, not primarily.

Sparkle is an orphan - her dark magic killed her parents. She lives with her brother in Canterlot's industrial sector because they can't afford anything better. She can't leave either. She's a natural dark mage; while Sparkle won't go mad like Sombra, her reputation is hardly any better. Worse, the law doesn't see her as a good pony.

The fact that the dead don't stay dead around her, or that Thorn - Spike's double - is an undead, soul-eating abomination, are other matters altogether.

(Also has some Slice-of-Life, but fimfiction tags won't let me put it with Adventure.)

Has an ask blog to go with it: Ask Sparkle and Thorn.
Also has a TvTropes page: Split Second Tropes.

Featured on EQD.

Cover art by Swirling Line.

The first story in The Journey of Graves.

Ponyville is getting ready for the arrival of Princess Celestia's marshals, elite of royal guard and travelling heroes of the people. But in all the hustle and bustle of party preparations, a lone traveler slips into town, a young man with business concerning Twilight Sparkle. What that business is remains to be seen, but you can be sure Ponyville won't make it easy for him.
After all, where would be the fun in that?

An experiment in FiM reinterpretation.
Featured: 1/19/2015.
-----

MANE: Maneuver, Assess, Neutralize, Execute.

They are the world’s special forces operators, the best of the best no one sees. Employed by the covert organization known as the Network, MANE teams operate around the world to protect the Network's global interests. Despite their unique personalities, these motley squads of citizens, soldiers, and criminals have completed countless missions together. But in a period of an imperfect peace, many unit had been deactivated. MANE operators went back to their homes in the hopes of rebuilding their lives in harmony. That is about to change.

Twilight, a student of the Network, has received the first assignment of her academic career. As Cell’s personal protégé, she has been tasked with overseeing preparations for a historic diplomatic meeting. But after her mission takes an unexpected turn, an unforeseen evil threatens to destroy the Network and plunge the world into eternal darkness. Against uncertain odds, Twilight must unite MANE VI and fight to restore Harmony, while realizing her place in the world along the way.

Contains humanized, militarized FiM characters in an alternate universe, set on a near-future Earth.
Rated Teen for: scenes of combat, violence, swearing.

Featured Box: 1/19/2015
TV Tropes Recommendation: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanficRecs/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicGeneral