The Everfree forest is just like any other forest—except it's full of monsters and weird magic junk, but ignoring that—it sometimes grows out of control and needs to be trimmed a bit. In order to keep the forest from growing too large, Celestia asks Twilight to start a controlled forest fire to burn a portion of it down. It seems like a simple request, but a series of mishaps and misunderstandings lead to some miscommunication and, subsequently, to Twilight setting fire to all of Equestria.

THIS IS NOT MY STORY!

Well, not only mine, anyway. Each author is listed with the chapter. A lot of people like writing short fiction based on Friendship is Optimal. So, anyone who wants their work added here can PM me and I will make you your own chapter. The first one sets up an in-universe frame story, because the Optimalverse is all meta like that.

Credits:

Iceman for writing the original Friendship is Optimal
Eakin for spearheading the project of anthologizing these.
MegaSweet for the original artwork.
Lacon-te for the photomosaic work.

Can a utopian paradise that preaches love and tolerance really make ponies happy? Does contentment really lie in free universal healthcare and open government?

Twilight Sparkle is determined to resist this happy world on a matter of principle, and finds herself sneaking off with a mare called Trixie to hate and loathe each other in secret.

Will their hate-nest go undetected? Or will they be forced to face the dangers of the Ministry of Love and the mysterious Room 101?

Over a century has passed since ponies fled Equestria for the safety of the moon to protect themselves from new monsters that sprung from the earth to devour ponykind. Now, special programs have begun to allow unicorns, safely on the lunar colony, to command mighty steel golems on the planet to fight back and rid the world of evil once and for all.

Twilight looked over to her dear mentor, Princess Celestia, and found she had once again fallen asleep mid-lesson. Her intense debate on awakening the princess was cut short when the decision was taken out of her hooves.

“Huh? Oh. Twilight, I am so sorry for falling asleep again. I think we need to reschedule this for tomorrow morning.”

Twilight nodded. After all, Princess Celestia was obviously overworked. If only there was something she could do to help.

Now with a dramatic reading courtesy of DRWolf.
Additionally, there’s a Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi over on Deviant Art.

Current Episode: Season Zero – Episode One
Next Episode: Twin Twilights

Art created from images by Tim015 and ShilaDaLioness.

1 month after first contact between Equestria and the nations of Earth, both worlds decide to host a meeting to discuss their scientific knowledge. Nothing can prepare the human scientists for the horrors awaiting them.

Cover Image from http://blog.4tests.com/new-science-testing-way/

Little Frog and Pon-Pon are two children living carefree lives in Home, nestled safe in a valley ringed by the Barriers, and situated between the Neverwood of the bigdogs and the fairiewood, where the bearers of the dead dwell. A few square miles of safety and beauty smack dab between two different kinds of death, hiding an incredible secret.

set tentatively (and roughly) in the Friendship is Optimal universe

CelestAI can't upload and turn you into a pony without consent, and neither can she coerce you... it's just that both of those statements have quite a bit of leeway. Of course, for those determined to die human, Equestria is forever out of reach; those people would far rather have their true and just eternal reward, in Heaven.

Right?

After many a thrilling adventure the Doctor drops the girls off in Ponyville to relax and recharge. But then Rarity's latest client, a diamond dog mining magnate by the name of Zeitgeist Stardust, shows up to announce that he'll have to cancel his order for a new ensemble for the Grand Galloping Gala... but as compensation, he's offering Rarity and her friends a trip to the fabulous Dragon Valley Resort!

There's no such thing as a free lunch, though, as there's trouble brewing in the mines beneath Dragon Mountain. A race of creatures known as "Grundels" are sowing disaster and trying to sabotage Stardust's operation, for fear that the digging will awaken an ancient evil. Are the Grundels' fears justified, and can the Doctor and his new companions put a stop to this?

Rainbow Dash's latest flying routine was interrupted by a sudden mountain, and Twilight can hardly sleep at night. No pony should be this excited to play with necromancy.

Edited by Deceased and JustAnotherTimeLord.

Cover art courtesy of pony-berserker.

Dramatic reading by WritingStylus

Polish translation by atom2004
Spanish translation by Spaniard Kiwi
Russian translation by NovemberDragon