Pinkamena just wants to stay in her own lane. If Pinkie has a problem that needs yelled at, kicked at, or jeeringly tolerated until it goes away, she can handle it. But what’s a sourfaced split personality to do when her agreeable half vanishes overnight like a fart in the wind?

Pinkamena is not a sleuth. Nor a convincing actress. But she’ll need to be both to guise as Pinkie and solve the mystery of where her better half went.

What a pain in the flank.

(Teen rating for Pinkamena’s crassness and comically short temper.)

Its National Novel Writing Month! I'm breaking my regular short story conventions for a multi-chapter tale of fumbling comedy, uneasy mystery, and (most frightful of all) first-person narration.

Colgate is a pony of simple pleasures. She wakes up, goes to work, avoids whatever nonsense is plaguing the city of Ponyville today, and heads home, leaving better suited ponies to clean up the weekly mess.

Until one day she wakes up, and it is not tomorrow.

This begins a series of circumstances that will eventually culminate with a conversation with a star, a lifesaving mattress, several pieces of magical cutlery, a series of one-hit KOs, and a chase through the past and the future for the fate of all Equestria.

Just a normal Tuesday in Ponyville, even when the exact date is negotiable.

An entry in the Most Delightful Ponidox, written, rather experimentally, in first person present tense.

Cover art by KozachokZRotom

Danny is wearing his convention center snack bar uniform when The Merchant sends him to Equestria.

Only through the powers of customer service can he defeat Spoiled Rich.

Thanks to Damaged, Mockingbirb, Samey90, and HiddenMaster for brainstorming and VikingZX for insight into convention center guests (on a scale of bad to worse).

Twilight's bloody corpse hangs in a shard of broken window. Twilight stalks the train in search of the monster that killed her. Two of the Twilights that are too many, facets of a Twilight that is too much.

“So you remember what dying’s like?” Dash asked with the careless curiosity of a child.

“It was like if falling asleep really hurt. Except some of me stayed dreaming.” 

The worst part of a betrayal is often not the act itself, but everything that lingers after. Trying to piece together the motivations of someone you once trusted, sifting through memories for some sign you might have missed.

Wondering if, somehow, they had a good reason behind it all.

Seeking closure, Twilight tries to find answers in Cozy Glow's abandoned possessions, but the truth she discovers is one that will make her question everything.

Written for the 3rd Annual Cozy Glow Short Story Contest.

Prompts used:
-Twilight Sparkle gathers Cozy’s belongings for disposal. One object surprises her.
-Cozy’s got a secret!

Twilight Sparkle is good at finding books even in unexpected places.
She's also a very helpful and proactive young filly.

You'd think these would be good traits, and yet still she manages to nearly ruin Hearth's Warming with an interstellar war.

Written as a gift for Zontan, as part of an anthology. Art by rice.

Rainbow Dash was never into dresses, make-up, or styling her mane, but it's not like she gets mistaken for being male or anything. At least, not until she wakes up in a world where she's the closest thing to a stallion her friends have seen in months.

A bit RGRE? Mostly for comedy, really.

If you haven't heard of RGRE, the story might actually work a little better, but here's a definition anyway since it was requested: RGRE stands for Reverse Gender Role Equestria. Basically, females are the dominant gender. Causes, consequences, etc. vary from story to story.

Shining Armour had a great life, everything he could ever want. He was happy.

That is until the Monster arrived.

Violence tag due to certain themes within the story. CW: Child Abuse

An entry in the A Thousand Words Contest under Horror.

Preread by The Sleepless Beholder and mushroompone.

Some of you have read Le Guin's classic, "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas." I bring you a story from the perspective of the starved child in the cellar, shying fearfully from a mop.

Also, ponies.

Content Warning: Child abuse.

Preread Credits: Thanks to RDT and GaPJaxie for prereading (and to Punished Bean and TheSmokingGuy for some logistical help.)

Contest notes:

If friendshipping and other types of relationships are admissible to a 'shipping' contest, this story might qualify for Bicyclette's Woman x Mare Shipping Contest.

Do fanfics for Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" qualify for the site's current Science Fiction Contest? Maybe.

Note to moderators about the poetry/verse: I composed the prophecy (or excerpt from the prophecy) myself. Le Guin's own story didn't really need this poem, but I thought my story did.

After dying in a train crash, Twilight finds herself offered a deal by the Reaper: a game of chess for her soul. Twilight accepts, but there's something off about the game. Something she can't put her hoof on.

But the answer to that question is just perfect for who she is.

Cover art is from the Poets of the Fall album Clearview.