Sombra's takeover took everyone in the Crystal Empire by surprise. No one saw it coming, none were prepared for it, and almost no one got away. Almost.

A few hooffuls of daring souls managed to break out of the city and flee southwards, towards Equestria. Some ran to beg the Princesses for aid, others - just to save themselves and their families from the mad tyrant.

But as the refugees are about to learn, it's the dead of winter outside the Empire's shield, and the crystal ponies are far too used to their warm life in the city. One filly that gets separated from her parents while trying to get away learns that fact all too painfully...

Cover art by Marbo, Allfather of the Snowponies.

Additional tag:snowpony

Beyond Equestria, the lands to the north are hostile and unforgiving. Ponies eke out a subsistence in uncontrollable weather, separated by mile after frigid mile of snow and mountains. A land where only the hardiest survive is no place for civilization.

Yet civilization encroaches from time to time. When a colossal bounty is placed on the head of a unicorn deep in the arts of necromancy, a motley crew of bounty hunters assembles and gives chase. It’s too good a chance to pass up. They’ll bring her to justice, no matter what stands in their way. Not her dark magic. Not the inhospitable environment.

And certainly not each other.

Other entries in this series:

• Hinterlands
• Urban Wilds
• Death Valley

This story is a sequel to Hinterlands

Two years ago, bounty hunter Bitterroot turned a lich and her necromancer apprentice over to the authorities. Now, that apprentice, Amanita, has been released on good behavior. She has no more interest in necromancy. In fact, she asked Bitterroot to turn her in all those moons ago and helped capture her master. With nowhere for Amanita to go, Bitterroot takes her in until she can get her hooves under herself.

But all isn’t well in Canterlot. A killer is stalking the streets, striking with impunity and leaving no trace. The Royal Guard is befuddled. Bitterroot’s investigations have yielded nothing. And night is turning into a time of dread. Something needs to be done. If only the dead could speak. If only there was a moral necromancer around.

Amanita doesn’t want to admit it, but the part of her past she hates the most might be the most useful part right now. Just because ponies are dying doesn’t mean they need to stay that way. What she buried needs to be dug up again.

Her demons are rearing their ugly heads. It’s time to face them.

Reading the preceding story will provide some context for this, but isn't required. Cover art is modified from this image. Other entries in this series:

• Hinterlands
• Urban Wilds
• Death Valley

On the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, Nightmare Moon returned from her banishment. The power she had accumulated during her stay on the moon proved to be too great for Princess Celestia, and Equestria's ruler was defeated.

Weeks later, Anon arrived in Equestria via unknown means. Although lost and confused, his natural resistance to magic made him quite useful to Nightmare Moon. To his surprise, he quickly became one of her most trusted servants and found himself falling in love with her. Even more surprisingly, it seemed like she was doing the same.

Eventually, despite Anon's best efforts, Nightmare Moon was defeated and Princess Luna returned. Everyone was rejoicing. Everyone... except him. Because Anon did not fall in love with Princess Luna.

Anon fell in love with Nightmare Moon.

The kirins are a quiet folk. They tread lightly in their place among the stars, so lightly that they may well be silent, but they're there. Some consider their presence in the cosmic game a blessing. To others, an annoyance at most. What is certain is that they are peacemakers to all.

Searing Cold is a different kind of kirin, but he is still a peacemaker.

Even for a war machine on the run.

Thank you to NorrisThePony, for everything; and Shanaar, for creating Searing Cold.

Spotlighted on Equestria Daily.
Cover art by JedaySkayVoker.

It started when they first met. A growing flame that began to burn in their hearts. It was unknown to them what this flame was, but it grew stronger as they got older and their feelings moved on from friendship to something else. Some fires grow slowly, but when given time they burn more passionate and brighter then any volcano.

***
Edited by CommanderX5 and roker12

Just a small series of chapters (no less then a thousand words) of a new ship I like a lot.

Now with a TV Tropes Page

Trail Blazer and his daughter Comet Trail move to Ponyville to start their new lives. Trail has been all around Equestria for his job, but he wants Comet to have a home of her own. And after Comet found a flier for a certain Princesses’ school, how could he deny her?

What new adventures await them in the quiet little town of Ponyville? Can Trail give Comet the home she's always wanted? And can Trail find happiness as well? Let's find out!

Featured on 5/31/20

Editors:
Myself
Mister Hypothetical
Frag the Editor

Cover Art by the amazingly talented Aurelia Charm of Raspberry Studios

What senses do you use? And how often do you use them? Which one do you think you use the most? The least? If you had to choose one to enhance? One to give up? Sometimes, you don't get the chance to choose.
Glassy eyes leave one crippled but, maybe there's hope in the form of telekinesis.

This story is simply about a blind filly's start in life. Though, she's not all that she seems...

The following story takes place in the Equestria at War universe. It contains no real spoilers for any nation, and does not require any prior knowledge of EaW to understand. Enjoy!

Though Queen Chrysalis knew that changelings could live almost anywhere, she was still surprised to hear about an isolated island nation of changelings on the other side of the world. This was quite the interesting development, as she was currently waging war with Equestria.

She had wondered if these foreign changelings might be interested in helping with her subjugation of ponykind. Though she had long since dissolved her diplomatic channels due to perceived incompetence, Chrysalis wanted to send some form of emissary to ask them to aid her cause.

And thus she sent one of her spies to visit Greneclyf, the island of harmonious changelings.

Equestria and the Crystal Empire have fallen to the Changeling Hegemony, led by the brutal Queen Chrysalis at the head of a mechanized horde of guns and tanks. Princess Cadance stayed in the Crystal Empire; Princess Twilight stayed in Equestria. Chrysalis rules the continent, only defied by Nova Griffonia, the poor Griffon colony in the north.

Across the ocean, the Griffonian Reich pledges to reclaim its lost territory, sundered by revolution a generation ago. While the Alicorn Sisters retreat to New Mareland, Princess Flurry Heart and Shining Armor turn to Aquileia, the Republic born out of the ashes of the Griffonian Reich. The Kaiser of the Reich is only a child, subject to a regent bent on war and conquest.

Flurry knows the Reich and Chrysalis have worked together.

She knows that war is coming to Aquileia.

She knows that Celestia and Luna abandoned her mother and Twilight Sparkle.

She knows that the world is on fire, and she is the last true Princess of Ponies.

She knows she will go home.

Cover Art by Opal Radiance, commissioned by Sunstreaker.
https://www.deviantart.com/opalradiance