"Unicorns are wonderful!"
"Unicorns are fantastic!"
"Unicorns are marvelous!"
"Unicorns are glamorous!"
"Unicorns are enchanting!"
"Unicorns are terrific!"

They also like to twist words. What would happen if you asked what they really are, without the wordplay?

Unicorns provoke wonder. They create fantasies. They cause marvels. They project glamour. They weave enchantment. But most importantly, they spawn terror.

Massively A.U.

In the middle of the night, Rarity is awoken by a noise from downstairs.
But it's alright, because all she needs to do is quickly make sure everything's okay. Then she can go back to bed.
Then it'll be over.

Winner of the horror-themed 4^th Koren's Kontest for the My Little Story Contest writing group. Originally this was done in an hour and unedited. This version here has received some slight refinement. The prompt was 'Mirror'.

A thousand years have passed. Celestia and Luna, revered as goddesses, have been deposed and slain at the cloven hooves of Grogar the necromancer. Equestria is in ruins. Evil reigns.

Grogar, before his death, imposed a new religion based on the worship of a woman named Faust, who rules as a mythical being known as a human over the ponies. The ponies interpret her to be ruthless and fierce, and worship her with living sacrifices, awaiting the day when she will come.

But after one of their profane rituals to appease her, an arch-priest of the religion wonders: if their religion is true, why has Faust...not come yet?

Reel Projection has disappeared. Nopony has any clue as to where he went or how he vanished. However, one thing is for certain is that he did leave a nearly seven-page note behind. In it, he described a lost, banned film from the silent film era.

A special thanks to LeylaQuartz for proofreading this.

Now with a Russian Translation by Doof Ex Machina

A normal end to a normal day -- at least, that's what it was supposed to be.

But it wasn't.

Luna went to raise the moon as usual, but something went wrong. Terribly wrong. She felt it, but she couldn't stop it.

None of us could.

It appeared too suddenly -- acted too quickly.

The only warning we received was a roar and a bright flash of light, then everything was gone. No more Canterlot, no more ponies, no more anything.

Nothing survived.

Nothing... except for us and whatever 'it' is.

We may be immortal beings, but that doesn't make things any better -- if anything, it makes the pain all that much worse. The only thing we can really do now is try to avenge those dear to us. Our subjects... our families... my friends...

Everything.

I don't care how long it takes, and I don't care if it's a pointless battle. All I care about now is making sure we put that thing down for good.

After that?

Well...

Cover art done by Little Tigress. Check out her other stuff on deviantart if you wanna see more!

Civil twilight [n]: the brightest phase of twilight

Twilight goes to visit her friends in and around Ponyville.

But even Twilight Sparkle has a dark side...

Approved by Twilight's Library!

“Remember this, Twilight, because in the end it’s not the things you think, but the things you do that makes you who you are.”

"There was a snake among th' hired hooves. I shoulda known it, Apple Bloom. I'm so sorry. I shoulda seen it in his Lunadamned eyes--but I didn't! When I left you, I followed him. I was gonna make him pay. I was gonna fix it. I was gonna make it better. I had a gun and I was faster than 'em... How do I explain it? I'm so sorry, Apple Bloom. But it's a hard thing to make a choice, it's such a final kinna thing, y'know? I didn't know what to do. The pistol was hot and heavy in my grip an' I..."

Twilight awakens alone in a strange and forbidding labyrinth of abandoned halls and forlorn chambers with no memories of how she came to be there. All she has to go on in the dark are a few scattered memories, her intuition, and her Princess's vague warning.

Watch for Luna.

Pinkie bounces into the throne room of Twilight's new castle, invites her over to Sugarcube Corner, and reveals some dark secrets that make Twilight reevaluate everything she ever thought she knew about Equestria, its princesses, and its ponies.

Written for the More Most Dangerous Game Contest, this story didn't reach the finals.