Most ponies assume that something is wrong with Ditzy Do's eyes. Theories range from a head injury to a genetic disorder to muscle damage behind her eye. The crueler folk suggest she's just retarded. Nicer ponies say it's just a party trick she never got tired of.

They're all wrong. They're all very, very wrong.

I discovered the truth one day in conversation with her. One eye would always look at me, and the other would wander. At least, I thought it was wandering. So while we were talking, I followed it. Goddess in heaven I wish I had not. Never follow the other eye. Ever. Because Ditzy Do's eyes work fine.

She's just watching something. That... thing that's always in the corner of our eyes. And if she looks at you with both eyes?

Goddess save you.

----

Preread by BrastaAAura17, Chase Cosmicwing and dreamingnoctis. Cover art also by dreamingnoctis. Guy's a bro.

Twilight is looking to hire guards for her castle. Derpy is looking for a new job. Lightning Dust is trying to find a way forward after her falling out with the Wonderbolts, and Flare Warden is just trying to get a position far far away from her brother.

Immense thanks to Fylifa for countless hours of editing and proofreading.
Cover art by Anchorxx

Starlight Glimmer has gone back in time. Each time Twilight tries to stop Starlight, she fails and is flung back through the portal and into a broken, twisted Equestria, ravaged by wars or monsters, each version worse than the one before, barreling toward the destruction of the world. Until she lands in a version of Equestria that ... isn't worse. It seems unchanged, happy, normal. The only real difference she can find on the cutie map is that her castle isn't there ...

... but the library still is.

Editing by Formerly Committed and JetstreamGW.

If you'd asked Twilight which of her friends would break into her castle to commit an interdimensional crime, Applejack probably would've been pretty far down on the list, somewhere between Fluttershy and Princess Celestia. But between finding several unauthorized uses of the Mirror Portal, a sudden influx of unexplained funds to Sweet Apple Acres and a sharp increase of food-based magic incidents in the human world, it's hard to deny the obvious conclusion.

There's also the fact that Applejack isn't even trying to deny the obvious conclusion.

Warning: spoilers in the comments.

Literally last-minute prereading done by FloydienSlip.

Daring Do visits her oldest foe, Ahuizotl, in the Hoofington Insane Asylum after receiving a letter from the administrator telling her that he was found a gibbering wreck.

She was prepared for a ruse, or something of the like.

She wasn't prepared for what she found in his cell, or the gruesome story that he told her.

A story of an ancient ruin and a nightmare that has been unleashed onto the world.

Inspired by the works of H. P Lovecraft, Amnesia: the Dark Descent and the series Penny Dreadful.

Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch are musicians and the best of friends; despite this, the two couldn't be more different. But when Octavia leaves Ponyville to find her fortune, she learns that her friend might have been all she ever really needed. Meanwhile, Vinyl finds herself trapped in the shadow of her father, struggling to make her own fame.

Follow them, and many other Equestrian musicians, as they further their musical careers, meet new friends, find love, and experience loss. Together, they encounter dangers, challenges and, ultimately, face the greatest realization of all - what it means to accept one's own destiny.

Using songs of the fandom for inspiration, this story was crafted to show the love of music in all it's forms, but also the love music brings to those around it. This story follows the timeline of the show, trying to match it as closely as possible. This does not mean it's not without bumps.
Speaking of editing; a huge shout-out for Aburi, my editor. He may not be the fastest editor - life being what life is - but his suggestions have made my story that much better for everyone reading. Thank you, Aburi!

Bonus Chapters are not required reading, but are just fun little additions. They do include some development for side character, or fun scenarios I wanted to toss in, but many of them are just that: bonuses.

Cover Art by Little Tigress

Plugs, Reviews, and Accolades

Equestria Daily Spotlight!

My Little Reviews & Feedback by Skyward Sword -- Final Score: 23/30

Princess Twilight Sparkle has died a hero, but no one knows why.

Between an ancient evil that had not even existed until she struck it down, a mysterious crystal ball that bears some unknown significance, and a set of cryptic notes and behaviors from the princess during her final days, the circumstances behind it all are murky at best and suspect at worst.

And the rabbit hole only grows deeper from there.

The Crystal Ball Trilogy is a series of stories which deal with time travel, parallel universes, and other manipulations of time and space. Feedback is the first story; it is succeeded by Substitute and Divergence.

Digital pdf version here
Print book version here

Featured on 7/19/2015!
Featured on Equestria Daily! 8/21/2015
Featured by Everfree Northwest! 3/11/2016
Featured by Seattle's Angels! 9/27/2016
Goodreads entry~

Edited by
PersonalGamer
Kuairu

Live reading by Alchemystudent
Fan-art by Miss Hoot

Rainbow Dash and Applejack have cherished the years gone by at one another’s side, but beneath the wear of time, the fuel that is love can turn to ash and smother the flames they hold dear.

Beyond the smoke rising from the cinders, they face an uncertain future. Now, they must come to terms with the harsh truth that, sometimes, love alone isn't enough to keep a marriage burning bright.

Historian’s Note:
Spectrum of Gray occurs about fifteen years after Princess Twilight Sparkle’s ascension.

Cast: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle & Granny Smith

Entry into the AppleDash "Second Chances" Contest.

Cover Design by Novel Idea
Sweet Apple Acres Background by bronyb34r
Sweet Apple Acres Barn by Jeatz-Axl
Small Cloudiminium: Customized from Screenshot by Novel Idea

Header Designs
Twilight Sparkle Cutie Mark by Intbrony 
Applejack Cutie Mark by BlackGryph0n
Rainbow Dash Cutie Mark by BlackGryph0n
Granny Smith Cutie Mark by The Smiling Pony

Beta Reader & Editor Credits
Ebon Quill: Audio Director & Quest Designer on The Manehattan Project
Little Tinker: Master of Systems at Poniverse & Scripting Engineer on The Manehattan Project
Beltorn: Commenter-at-Large on FimFiction
Cursori: Reader of Many a Pony Word

Special Guest Beta Readers & Editors
Monochromatic - Patron Saint of RariTwi
Oroboro - Expert in Emotional Devastation
Crystal Wishes - One Who Understood
Swan Song - Specialist of Sass and Snark
Corejo - Synopsis Nitpicker Brainstormer

Word Count: 18,000 words
Version: 2.3

Daring Do has always had a knack for exploration. Usually, one should listen to locals when they promise to you on their life's blood that your next destination may be the end of you... But she was Daring Do, no way were a bunch of old stories going to turn her away.

The farmer’s daughter was not Rarity's friend. She never would be, either. Ever.

Now available in audio form! Thank you to the lovely ObabScribbler!