Queen Novo does not forgive or forget easily. When her niece seemed to prefer a school in the middle of a continent run by a would-be thief to Mount Aris, that didn't sit well with her.

The good news is that Twilight's managed to resolve that situation already.

The bad news is that there's another coming down the pike.

An entry in Bicyclette's Crackship Contest. Rated Teen for strong language and the love that dare not speak its name on a TV-Y series.

Cranky had a plan to make Matilda's Hearts and Hooves Day the best day of her life. Instead, he's in jail for (allegedly) running over Pinkie Pie with his cart.

This is his story.

A last minute entry for the Outside/Insight Equestria Daily Contest.... in which it placed 7th!

Edited by Dash the Stampede

This is a reconnaissance report taken by Hunter23120, a fresh hatching with no field experience, after his attendance of cranky's wedding. This document is to remain public to ensure a situation such as this does not arise in the future.

Rarity returns to Ponyville a broken mess of a mare. Her snotty Canterlot fashion friends have informed her that white is unfashionable to wear after the end of summer! Weeping, she recounts her sad tale to the unsympathetic Cranky Doodle Donkey, who makes an offhanded comment that kicks her fashion mania into top speed: what if she simply dyes all of her white clothes so they're fashionable again?

Even better, Rarity decides, what if she dyes all of the white ponies so they're fashionable, too?

Follow Rarity as she leaves a trail of colorful mayhem behind her, and see if her friends can talk her down from the sequined ledge of madness she's teetering on!

Written for Jes for Hearthswriting! Many thanks to my friend M for the preread!

The prompt was “Rarity gets caught up in a “No White After Summer’s End” trend to the point she starts trying to change everything white including pony’s manes and fur without them noticing."

It's the morning after Cranky and Matilda's wedding. Naturally, Cranky is thrilled with his new bride, but there's something missing he can't quite put his hoof on.

What could it be?

Written for The Writeoff Association's "The Morning After" contest.

Dragged all the way from the Empire by the Crystal Couple, and for what? A wedding! I don't want to watch two ponies get hitched, what did I do to deserve this? I don't want to see all the pomp and circumstance, there's no need for it. I especially don't want all those ponies staring at me!

...
A good portion of my race was destroyed at a wedding, shouldn't that be warrant enough for me not to go?
...

Whorlygig isn't the most social of changelings, mostly because he's the only one in the entirety of the Crystal Empire. How do Shining Armor and Cadance turn him into a 'social butterfly'? Take him to a wedding in Ponyville, of course!

Still debating on changing the cover-art.

In a sunburned Equestria, Rarity leads the pleasant life of a clothier in the tiny town of Spurhoof. She’s got a successful business, a capable assistant, and the respect of the place she’s called home for six years. Maybe she never achieved her foalhood dreams of fabulosity, but at least she’s comfortable. What more can a mare ask for?

Then a band of outlaws decide to pay Spurhoof a visit, and their leader’s eye has settled upon Rarity. Soon she’ll have to fight not only for her life, but maybe her very soul. Will her diamond turn dull under the hot Equestrian sun, or will adversity make her shine all the brighter?

Print copies now available for purchase on Lulu!.

Now featured on Equestria Daily.

Inspired by Fallout: Equestria and the song Bulletproof Heart by My Chemical Romance.

Other stories inspired by music:
Escape
Ordinary World
Bed of Roses
Drops of Jupiter
How to Save a Life
Forgive Me, Friend
Time for Tea

A big thanks to my brainstorming fellow and ever-awesome friend SorenPixels, who has helped me ponder the plans for this story since its inception.

Additional kudos to Danger Beans and Cerulean Voice for their help with the first few chapters.

Big thanks to the fantastic author Viking ZX for taking time out of his busy schedule to be my Alpha pre-reader.

Last but certainly not least, my gratitude to my gang of Beta pre-readers: Babroniedad, Lord-Commander, Merc the Jerk, Snowybee, Soge, and Wanderer D!

I was not prepared for the absolutely stunning world building or the incredibly well done characters. [...] This is a work of absolute art. — Equstarte Marine Sebaste

Reading and re-reading (and re-reading) this story was an amazing experience. It will always be one of my favorites! — Wanderer D

I dare say this is a masterpiece of the fandom. — FanOfMostEverything

It's a gorgeous, vivid-drawn setting you've crafted for this, and it hits its gritty Western beats and epic scope with aplomb. Rarity's character journey in this is a stellar one, and her gradual sink into (and recovery at the brink of) [...] darkness was wonderfully and believably told. — Carabas

Cover art commissioned from the fantastic bakki, with title work generously donated by Novel-Idea.

It's that magical time of year, somewhere in between Nightmare Night and Winter Wrap-up, when school's out on break and snow covers everything and parents send kids like Sweetie Belle outside to shovel. But when this Crusader takes it upon herself to let the light of generosity shine on her next door neighbor, she may get more than she bargained for... and may make an unlikely friend in the process.

This was my first story on FimFiction, and an entry for The EFNW 2015 Pre-Con Contest.

Cover art stitched together from here and here using Inkscape.

Credit for my writing prompt is due here: http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts/snow-shovelling-showdown

This is set sometime after the events of S2 E15 (The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000) but before S5 E9 (Slice of Life).

Brief stories about Equestria as it might have been—or, you may suspect in darker hours, already is.

25. Necessary Evil: Lord Tirek will return to wreak havoc on Equestria... but not before he's needed.

24. Queen of Foals (Fausticorn):
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—"Four vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies alone..."

23. The Mechanical Donkey (Cranky Doodle alt-universe): A colt working for the school paper uncovers an old donkey's secret.

22. The Element of Audacity (Twilight, Dash, Cthulhu): It would take a very brave, very stupid pony to defy the Eater.

21. The Gentle People (dark): The gryphon tribe that tried to follow a pony goddess.

20. It's a Trap! And Twilight knows it. But her opponent knows that she knows it. But she knows that Twilight knows that she knows that Twilight knows it...

19. Fraud!: Trixie is accused of cheating at cards.

18. Celerity: Rarity wonders what Celestia sees in her.

17. Worth It: Fluttershy teaches Twilight about the cost of love.

16. Self Image (Twilight, Rarity): Is beauty really only skin deep?

15. The Quiet One (Luna): Some ponies express emotions differently.

14. Special: Discord teaches Pound Cake an important lesson.

13. Twenty-one! (Pinkie Pie, Twilight; comedy, horror?): Twilight discovers the danger of asking Pinkie "why?"

12. Changeling Dream: You may think the cost of living on emotions is too high. But we know the cost.

11. Loyalty (Rainbow, Applejack): The job of an Element of Harmony is simple, and sometimes impossible.

10. [revoked]

9. Sombra's Curse (comedy): The terrible curse Sombra unleashed that made him king, and stole his soul!

8. Game of Immortals (Celestia, Discord; dark comedy): Celestia likes to win—no matter which side she plays.

7. The Pony Side (comedy): Darth Vader has more important things to share with Luke than who his father is.

6. No Regrets (sad): Looking back on her life, Twilight remembers how she treated Derpy, and faces some unpleasant truths about herself.

5. Shipping Costs (comedy): If you knew you were about to meet Celestia in the next life, you might ask yourself: Did you leave the world a better place? Did your friends know you loved them? Should you have written thirty-nine chapters of Celestia clop-fiction?

4. The Green Hills of Equestria (tragedy): Vincent's big-game hunting trip was a success ... almost.

3. Mare of the Rings (Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash; comedy, LotR): The greatest could not be trusted with the Ring. So Gandalf sought out the humblest. Maybe too humble....

2. Happy Thoughts (horror): Her sun, happy to be in its place in the sky, wrapped the land in its warm embrace, and flowers bloomed in her hoofprints. Celestia smiled. It was going to be another perfect day in Equestria. And all she had to do was think happy thoughts. Again.

1. The Pony: Once upon a midnight dreary, while I clicked weak and weary,
Thru many a vile and bilious image on slash-b of yore...

Original cover art by ModeratelyDeviant@DeviantArt

"To one's own heart be true" they say, but for royalty that is not always the case. Sometimes royalty has to put duty before love, and sometimes they find themselves unable to do so.
When a king finds himself torn between his heart and his country, he must make the hardest decision. Whatever the consequences.