It's cold up north, but Reinbow Deer gets by. Mostly by looking after the littler members of the herd. But what's a deer to do when one fawn barges in babbling about some dark blue dream alicorn and a message that needs delivered?

No AU tag because.... of certain spoilers for the Gen 5 movie.

Now with a written review!

This is an entry in the Snippet Series, an anthology of old oneshots that I (and my good buddy Str8aura) wrote based around interesting pics I found. New ones will be posted every other Thursday for the foreseeable future.

A distress call issues from a mansion in the snow-capped peaks of the Crystal Mountains. One of the six young residents is reporting evidence of a changeling among them. The Royal Guard rallies to their remote location with all haste, but they are days away—they have charged Detective Pesco and his apprentice Bluebird with investigating the scene in advance.

There's nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. Identity is a delicate thing, and the changeling's isn't the only one on the brink of unraveling.

A novel-length mystery (social deduction, closed room, limited suspect pool) with an emphasis on character drama. Entirely original cast split among canonical and semicanonical MLP species: ponies, griffons, reindeer, zebra—and among them, the changeling.

Assumed to take place prior/alternative to the changeling reformation in season 6.

Cover art (one and two) by Rocket Lawnchair.

Many thanks for the catches and suggestions from my beta readers, including: wonderkid125, Miller Minus, mikemeiers, Secret Moon, Majora.

It is not every day that you learn that a monster of legend is real, let alone friends with Rarity. If she had heard of the old stories, perhaps she would be more cautious. Or more daring.

(RGRE)
{This story has two versions, the last chapter is the first person version.}

This story is a sequel to The Legend Of Nicholas

Nicholas is the resident human of Ponyville, accepted and loved by all the ponies, especially the foals. Every year on hearth's warming eve, Nicholas makes toys for every foal in town.

However lately, Nicholas has had strange dreams about himself, about a crystal star, and about an Alicorn. Every night he feel more and more restless, and somehow he feels he must go. Nicholas has always had questions about who he is, and why he is in Equestria.

Without knowing why, he has a feeling that this year he might find answers. Of course, that feeling is only made stronger when eight reindeer come for him during the night, asking him to travel with them to the far North.

It is time for Nicholas to face his destiny, and be who he was always meant to be.

Story Inspired by: Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Art made for me by: Hoodwinked MCShelster

Now that her village is full of chatter and cheer, now that one of the Kirin is in Friendship School, Rain Shine decides that she's going to visit Ponyville for Hearth's Warming.

Unfortunately, she doesn't understand trains as well as she should.

On the plus side, she makes a new friend along the way. Sometimes the best friends are the ones you've just met.

Written for Comma Typer for Jinglemas 2022

Pre-read by AlwaysDressesInStyle

They say minotaurs live by the scars they bear. Bismuth's hide is a map of the world. His life was the blade, and the blade was his life, carried unto a hundred red fields, down a thousand roads, singing among elk, deer, and dragons. He stood at ramparts long since fallen, and was counted a hero in lands forgotten, when ponies had only begun to dream.

Maybe it's all true, but now he rocks in his chair, stirring at embers, while his deeds turn to rust in the shadows. What kind of scars call that living? And if you ask him, would he tell you?

--
Seek hope even in darkness.
Spanish translation by SPANIARD KIWI: https://www.deviantart.com/spaniard-kiwi/art/Los-debiles-968627541
Audio reading by CreepyPastaSalad: Clicket!
Inspired by Jetfire's "Dangerous Business" and "Besides the Will of Evil."

After dying in a car crash, (or whatever generic Isekai opening best suits you) Johan finds himself in the magical world of Equestria. Of course, magic is subjective, especially considering that Johan doesn't seem to have it in the slightest.

Now he's stuck in a world he doesn't seem to belong in, while his friend starts to reap in the glory of being the main character. All the while, mysterious conspiracies centuries in the making start to flare up, as villains from the ancient past and the present seem to both be gunning for the poor deer.

As if it couldn't get any worse, apparently he's developing a voice in his head. Great for him.

Cover by: Lux Arume links to their accounts can be found here:
Fimfiction
Twitter

First Featured 2/5/2021

Featured again 9/25/21

Featured again 11/12/21

Featured again 1/13/22

Featured again 1/22/22

Featured again 2/2/22

Featured again 2/5/22

Featured again 2/21/22

Featured again 4/21/22

Featured again 10/24/22

Featured again 1/7/24

The Map of Friendship has summoned Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash and sends them on a quest to visit the far off Principality of Cervus, the homeland of the enigmatic deer species.

When they arrive it becomes rapidly evident why the map sent them there. They have never met a bigger race of cynical apathetic nihilists in all of their adventures. Now the three ponies have to do everything they can to help the deer cure their self-destructive tendencies.

Spoiler alert, it is one of the hardest friendship missions they have ever had.

Deer are terrible. They aren't strong, they don't have magic, they can't fly, they can't even manipulate things with hands!

So what happens when some guy named Johan gets displaced into Equestria as a Deer while his best friend, Derek, gets displaced as a Half Alicorn, Half Gryphon, Half Shadow Pony, (Yes the math doesn't make sense, Johan has told him that several times,) he gets stuck as Derek's involuntary side kick, forced to sit there and watch as Derek saves the day again, and again, and again.

What happens when you are the only person in the world who hates someone, when you are supposed to be their best friend? What happens, when you are the side character in your own story?

Featured: 6/3/2020

Five humans fell through the barrier between two worlds, straight into the clutches of King Sombra. Forced to drink from a mystical teapot, their bodies transformed into beasts he could use. With his helmets in place he now commands them:

The Yak with brutish strength, the Unicorn and his piercing spells, the Thestral who stalks the night battlefields, and the Dragon that rains down fire on those who oppose their Great King. All four now loyal soldiers.

But what of the fifth? What happened to the last human in the group and why does he not fight alongside the others?

Warnings:
- The death and gore tags relate to particular moments that are more implied than seen and described.
- Darker themes are usually in, but not exclusive to, the main story arcs.
- There is also minor talk of suicide in a very short part, so I have added the tag just to be safe.
- Contains themes regarding gender identity and dysphoria which play out over the course of the entire story.

As before, this may need to change rating from Teen to Mature.

Cover art is by the very talented Mix-up.

Um, apparently this made the featured list on January 15th 2020... Thank you all so much!
Featured on Equestria Daily on May 26th 2020!

This is the home of the stories known as the Teapot Tales.
Side story arcs will be between the main arcs.
Side stories along with a second and third arc are already planned.