Snips and Snails have their Cutie Marks, but finding out what they want for a career is hard. Snails would rather stay young and carefree, but Snips knows who he wants to grow up to be. Will Snips be able to face the teasing that may come from that dream? Can Snails grow like his friend, or will their difference in ambition break their friendship apart?

Snowflake can fly. Scootaloo can't. She's decided her best solution is for him to train her, get her in the air his way. And he'll do anything to make sure that doesn't happen. Because she wants to be strong like him... and that's something he never wants to see another pony go through. And besides, the Crusaders quit on things all the time, which means getting her to drop out should be easy.

But they don't give up on the Crusade...

(Original story concept plus title from Seether00, freely offered up on The Idea Exchange. Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members (in both groups) and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Twilight Sparkle is asked by a child where Cutie Marks come from, and begins investigating. However, what starts out as simple research uncovers shadowy forces at work, and with each new clue, she learns more than she ever wanted to know.

(Special Thanks to Doukzor100 for the awesome cover art! )

(I don't know how, but Marked has been featured! Thank you all so much!)

This story is a sequel to Tantabus, Mk. II

The new and improved Tantabus has behaved itself thus far, but Luna has delayed telling Celestia about it. Until one night when it jumps into Celestia's dreams to say hi and inadvertently reveals itself. Luna must now introduce Celestia to her little bundle of self-aware psychic dream energy sooner than she imagined.

Diamond Tiara always knew that someday she'd be invited to dine with the Princess at the Royal Palace. She didn't think it would happen like this.

But she's going to sit there and be polite and smile and not be bothered by all the ways this is all wrong. Because that's what good fillies do, and Diamond Tiara is a good filly now.

Right?

Cover art by iisaw.
Preread by SIGAWESOME.

Featured on Equestria Daily.
Featured on the Royal Canterlot Library.

Fanart!

After years of trying, Scootaloo finally discovers her special talent.
It's the worst thing that ever happened to her. She'll have to leave Rainbow Dash and all her friends behind as she's forced to go off and learn about her new talent... and then it gets worse.

The sequel, Choices Legacy, is now available.

As always, I adore getting comments about the story; the more specific and prolific the better -- negative comments included. Your comments help make my future stories better.
Featured on Equestria Daily.

Many thanks to my team. I couldn't have done it without them.
Pre-readers:
MailboxBomber
Kyaksa
tosety
IceBeerG

Dialog Consultants:
Jacob Ellinger
kidmurkury
markey58

Editors:
IRpony

Proofreaders:
OkemosBrony
Unimpressive Vagaries

Artwork:
Scootaloo Vector by MoongazePonies
Background and cutie mark by author
In-Chapter art by author

Scootaloo's an orphan, let's get that fact out of the way. She lives in a cardboard box and it's rad as heck.

She also does other orphan stuff.

I'unno.

Big ups to Norse Pony for his editing work.

With the annual Winter Solstice ball coming up, Fleur de Lis' dreams are about to come true...

Our six equine heroes rally together to battle a force the likes of which the Shadowmare Valley has never seen before.

Story was originally published on Equestria Daily on May 21, 2011. It was written by myself for the Equestria Gaming's Crossover contest (and I'm pretty sure I lost).

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/05/story-my-little-pony-black-temple.html

Season 6 Spoilers!

Ah, Snowfall Frost, a misguided pony that nearly ended Hearth's Warming for all of time. Her fable is a lesson to ponies everywhere about appreciating the holidays.

And she doesn't look like Starlight Glimmer one bit. Nope. Not at all.

...Starlight Glimmer isn't too happy when she learns Twilight is basing Snowfall's character off of her.