After the Friendship Games, Sunset feels it's time to return home.

Only when she gets there, Twilight's castle is nowhere to be found, Cadance just got her horn, and Princess Celestia is still calling the bacon-haired pony her prized student rather than a failed one. And just reliving her past isn't on the table thanks to a pair of wings Sunset seems to have sprouted upon her return to Equestria.

With Sunset being back before she's supposed to, will the world stay as harmonious and on track, or will everything go down in flames as Sunset has to deal with allegations that she's really a changeling in disguise, a nerdy stallion with blue hair that wants to be her coltfriend, a pretty pink princess in need of remedial magic lessons, and an annoying purple pre-teen pony that will absolutely not go to bed without first being read Starswirl's Complete Mystical Mysteries Compendium?

Only time will tell

When Applejack kicks a certain tree, she doesn't expect it to complain. Trees aren't supposed to do that. They also don't talk back, shout or go into raging fits. One tree, however, does. By doing so, it changes Applejack's life forever.

NOTE: Events take place immediately prior to Twilight's Kingdom (season 4 finale).

Written for the 'Applejack character' prompt by the Hazardous Writing Materials and Challenges group.

Thanks to Noctus Custodi and InsaneFox for prereading and advice.

Special thanks to PheonixStarr for editing.

In the wake of the Canterlot Wedding, Fluttershy has to ask Twilight a very difficult question. And then things get weird.

Rated E for Ellegal.
Endorsed by GaPJaxie and the Pope.

This story is a sequel to Minding the Gap

Life takes its course, and after telling the world of their relationship, it was only natural for them to take the next step. Now they find themselves married, with a lot of new things to worry about, not the least of which are their children.

This story was a challenge to myself to write in a different way from how I would usually approach a story, and as such it will not be written in chronological order. It will, however, be rearranged into chronological order once it is complete.

This story is a sequel to Four Ponies & A Time Machine

WARNING: Some graphic crime scene description, especially in later chapters. No actual violence beyond action scenes. Some alcoholic beverage use.
IF YOU DOWNVOTE PLEASE LEAVE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY YOU HAVE DONE SO

Sheerluck Hooves is the most peculiar stallion of peculiar ponies. He is always wearing an Inverness cape and a deerstalker cap. Always blowing a silly-looking bubble pipe.
But he is a genius, a world-renowned consulting detective from Trotland Yard in Great Bridleton. And, in a very mind-boggling way, he is a cousin to Derpy Hooves. And he is coming over to stay with the Hooves family for quite some time.
Sheerluck is partially based off the original Sherlock Holmes created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He also takes personality traits from Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock and my own persona. Sherlock Holmes is actually now in public domain, so it is perfectly legal for me to write about Sherlock Holmes and to use direct references to Doyle's stories. MLP is indeed copyright by Hasbro. I take no credit to ponies from the canon show.
This COULD be considered a ponification story, but it follows the rules of the 'SkeleVerse' and uses mostly original ideas. Lots of allusions to Doyle's work.

MANE THEME SONG: Twenty|One|Pilots - Isle of Flightless Birds

PART ONE - A Study In Scarlet
PART TWO - The Sign of The Four
PART THREE - Valley of Death

Expect Canadian changelings

The only currency in war is life. It is a simple creed meant for an era that most believe has long since passed. With princesses, elements, and friendship, what could dare shatter the dream sewn by Equestria’s holy lights? What could ever throw us into a state of complete, utter darkness? Well, they always forget. They always forget that Tartarus exists for a reason – that something trapped by once upon a time spawned their beloved guards. They always forget that even the Sun casts a shadow, and it is in this shadow where we sit – to serve as a bolting line of defense against all threats that slither beneath the pedestal of our magical world.

Cover art by the awesome Baron Engel.

More Background Stuff!
Somehow featured on: 2015/05/10, 2015/08/16, 2015/09/02, 2015/09/06, 2015/09/21, 2015/10/05, 2015/10/08 & 2015/12/03.
A State of Darkness builds upon the alternate universe established by the backstory of my surprisingly named OC, Wing. Since I have a doctorate in physics, I really wanted this world to have an expanded structure regarding education. I also wished to portray an Equestria in which violence yielded consequences that stretched beyond the discovery of good morals. Before touching this tale, I had envisioned a flight school curriculum that included training analogous to graduate level education, and I had fabricated a history in which the demonstration of new combat-applicable techniques during this training brought about the creation of the Wonderbolt DarkOps. There is also a heavy influence from the adventures I have had roleplaying with my closest friends -- who have shaped my characters and worldviews in ways absolutely immeasurable.

This particular group of ponies has shown an ability to handle the somewhat shadier sides of the realm. While this organization relies heavily upon pegasi and their flying skills, it is not limited to one race, which I think is just fine and dandy - especially with regards to variety. All of these historical bits that swarmed in my mind served as the nucleus for what would become A State of Darkness.

One night, I was inspired by the image of a pony soldier awaiting execution. It touched that desire I held to dive into the grittier elements of the universe brewing in my brain. That picture sealed the deal for me. I started writing, and when my fingers stopped moving, there was something present that I wanted to share with the community and continue. I am a busy physicist without a lot of writing time, but I will try my best to keep updating regularly.

Arc Overview:
Arc 1: A State of Darkness The unicorn supremacist group Einhorn Vormacht emerges and jeopardizes the harmony upon which Equestria stands. [Installments 0-9]
Arc 2: A State of History One of the characters delves into his past for the sake of a curious, by-the-book guard. [Installments 10-14]
Arc 3: A Game of Darkness [Installments 15-29] An old colleague of Wing's reappears with plans to to hurl the world into a state of chaos that not even Discord is down for experiencing.

MADE IT TO POPULAR STORIES! UPDATE! MADE IT TO MAIN PAGE RECOMMENDED BOX!

"Okay everypony! Time to play Oubliettes and Ogres!" Twilight said, holding up the reference book like the ponies hadn't seen it multiple times before.

Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves. "Oh silly-filly, we can say 'Dungeons and Dragons' we're both owned by Hasbro!" She was ignored.

"Dungeons and Dragons, I mean, Oubliettes and Ogres? Don't you know that's Nightmare Moon's game?" The Doctor gasped sticking his head through the window.

Princess Luna pushed him out of the way and stuck her in the window and shouted, "Just because we were mad with jealous and bruised ego, does NOT mean all our hobbies at the time were themselves evil!"

Twilight Sparkle blinked and uncurled an ancient scroll examining it closely. "At least that explains the ancient 'Slay the Tyrant Sun' campaign module from the ancient first editions I found in the Castle of the Two Sisters."

Luna blushed.

This is a group-story/addventure/chain-story/round robin, fanfic 'story' of the Mane Six Plus Spike playing Dungeons and Dragons/Oubliettes and Ogres, with occasional guest players (like Trixie or Gilda), with Spike and Twilight rotating as Dungeon Master. It's intended to be an IN-CHARACTER comedy.

However, except for the opening set-up post, each post should be more self contained, if say (in joke) Twilight is fire balled by a Mimic in one post in a desert pyramid, the next post can have them sailing a ship encountering seaponies siren expies, each one containing a short joke, or an extension of a previous scene if that's what the poster wants. Time skips, flash backs, the ponies rotating different characters and campaigns, are all allowed (and ENCOURAGED) as long as the ponies stay in character (such as Pinkie Pie NOT fireballing a cabbage sales stallion and saying she thought he was a demon, thank you very much).

There are prototype rules and may change with time.

It's also intended to be an INDEPENDENT UNIVERSE from the Pony POV Series OR the Pinkie Pie Variety Show! So things aren't esoteric.

What's you post in the comments, it's then copy and pasted into the fic above, have fun.

Basic rule: EVERYONE IS IN CHARACTER!!!!

Cover image by SolanumEpidemic

TROPE PAGE LINK:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PoniesAndDragons

My roommate's name is Octavia, or "Tavi" for short. She likes vintage red wine, soft pillows, and long walks on the beach. But, more than anything, she loves music. She loves it with a passion that radiates with every burning color of the spectrum.

Each day I spend with her... or without her, I learn a little bit more about life, about the sick beat to which we all dance, whether we know it or not. I hope you don't mind if I say a few things about her. Just a few things. One can learn a lot from Tavi.

After all, she saved my life.

Cover Art by Eztp

Playlist - Because Even Original Things Aren't Original