Gerhart, a wandering griffon with a full-metal spear, accepts a quest from an innkeep in an out-of-the-way village the whole of which is suffering from terrible nightmares. The source, it seems, is a unicorn wizard in a tower out north a ways and atop a barren mountain; a simple enough thing for one of his skill and armaments to dispatch, but seeming only as what dark spell has captured the village digs its claws too into his consciousness.

Written for Bicyclette's A Thousand Words Contest II

What would a princess do in the case of a(nother) changeling invasion?

An entry in the Thousand Words contest, under the /schizo/ category.

UPDATE: Profanity no longer censored in the title

Celestia is lost. She needs to get home.

This story was written for the 2023 FimFic Science Fiction Contest. It placed somewhere.

At the apex of King Sombra's tyrannical rule, six crystal ponies venture through the driving snow and icy underground caverns in an attempt to flee the oppressive Crystal Empire to the mythical Equestria, far past the miles of frozen wasteland.

But the caverns below hold terrifying secrets, and the road to Equestria is a long one.

Special thanks to Ice Star for prereading help. (1-2)
This story, besides the obvious horror elements, contains heavy themes of domestic abuse and slavery.

Lives are controlled. Communication is monitored. Anything deemed improper is censored. If you want to send messages in private, you need to do it physically, with couriers known as Runners.

Rainbow Dash is a Runner. It's not the greatest job, but it's for a good cause.

The government is hunting Runners. If they think you're carrying information they don't want you carrying, they'll come after you with everything they've got. They have nigh-limitless resources at their disposal: enforcers, vehicles, surveillance. Your life will be on the line until you submit. They will find you and they will hunt you down, and your only defense will be your wits and your ability to run.

Now it's the greatest job.

An experiment in atmosphere, entered in the Science Fiction Contest II because it inspired me to finish it. A thematic crossover with Mirror's Edge; no non-pony knowledge required.

When deafness stole away her music, Octavia Melody became the greatest composer in Equestria. Her Tenth Symphony lies finished before her, the pinnacle of all her work, done against all odds at the very end of her life.

Yet the clock ticks, and she finds herself under the gaze of gods and devils. With only Discord's mocking aid, Octavia must journey through her past to save her very soul.

Cover art by JowyB!

(A ponified take on "Beethoven's Last Night" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.)

(AU-tagged because the quasi-godly figures such as Celestia, Tirek, and Discord occupy a pantheon with rules and limits instead of simply being protagonists and villains.)

Fragmented tales from the frontlines, starring or about Sergeant Reckless.

My tribute and gift to an oft unsung hero.

A pegasus has found herself in a dark, seemingly endless library. How did she get here?
More importantly, how can she get out?

Contesting third place in /mlp/'s PASTEJAM 2023. Only slightly edited to change awkward wording. Contains obvious sequel bait for when I feel like following up on it. I'm currently not happy about this story and will revisit it in the future.

STORY RESTRICTIONS:
The first sentence starts with: She set it ablaze...
The last sentence must end with: she blew out the candle.
Minimum length 700 words
No maximum length.

Princess Celestia has lived for 4 billion years. Her children have left their cradle, and Equis sits nearly abandoned. She must perform her duty one last time.

My entry for, and winner of, /mlp/'s 2023 Pastejam. The first and last lines were set by Aftercase, but other than that, we were given free rein to write whatever. This was an attempt to write using only the absolute minimum number of words allowed for the prompt. Sadly, that's 300 words too few, so this is the extended edition to get it onto Fimfic.

Princess Luna's guards have earned a reputation as the bravest and most devoted of all her subjects. Every mare and stallion under her command was ready to protect their Princess and her honor no matter the cost. None of that changed when she took on the mantle of Nightmare Moon.

But when a desperate attempt to turn the tide of conflict goes awry, the Princess's most trusted aide is forced to make a choice that puts her loyalty to the test.

Second place in the /PJ2023/ competition!